Omiyage
by Ninnik Nishukan
Summary: Like it says in my profile, there will be no sequel.
1. Tanuki

**Omiyage: Tanuki**  
By Ninnik Nishukan

* * *

It was about eight am, and of course she was up, already having showered and eaten her breakfast. She was having an ordinary, okay day until she found that _thing_ on her front step. She'd discovered it when she tried to unlock her front door; something had been blocking the way. Being forced to go around the back to be able to leave her house, she finally saw the obstruction. 

It was a giant tanuki statue, tall enough to reach well past her waist.

Someone had left it there, or dropped it there, by the look of things. The concrete steps to her restaurant were cracked, the concrete on the sides crumbling and calmly falling off in chunks, accompanied by the occasional small puff of dust.

She wasn't tired, she hadn't stayed up late or anything, she'd had a pretty good night's sleep, and she'd had a healthy breakfast, a long, warm shower and a piping hot cup of coffee. It was a good day. Yet, she twitched with irritation. How the hell was she supposed to open Ucchan's today?

Flexing her arms, she bent down and inched her fingers into a good grip on the statue before heaving.

All it resulted in was a pathetic little grinding sound, ceramic against concrete, as it got shuffled even closer to her door. Okay— she had thought it wouldn't be that heavy, and so she hadn't really put much effort into it at all. She'd thought it was one of those hollow ceramic statues, but apparently it was a solid mass all the way through.

"Gah!" She threw her hands up in exasperation before going for a second attempt. Setting her well legs apart for maximum lifting power, she braced herself and started pulling again. Gritting her teeth, she managed to lift it up to a little beneath shoulder height and dump it next to the steps so it wouldn't be in the way of her customers. Unfortunately, she was a little careless, so she almost got her toe caught under it, barely moving her foot away in time.

Huffing, she examined her newfound nemesis, as she padded back and forth, rubbing her chin. Hadn't she seen that damn tanuki somewhere before?

Ukyo snapped her fingers in realization. Of course! It used to be a lawn ornament at the Tendo house. Ukyo chuckled grimly; she'd even stubbed her big toe on the wretched thing once when visiting Ranma.

"You've killed my big toe and now you've come back for the other nine!" She muttered melodramatically, smirking to herself. Ukyo had nothing personal against tanuki statues— in fact she owned a couple of small, trinket-sized ones herself, for good luck— but she just couldn't fathom why anyone would bother buying this large a one.

The more urgent, nagging question was, however; how did it end up at her door step?

"Where the hell am I now?"

...and there was the answer.

"Aha." Ukyo mumbled to herself, rolling her eyes. Who would be strong enough to put the tanuki here? Ryoga, of course. His motives for doing it? Now _there_ was a trickier one.

"You're at Ucchan's okonomiyaki, sugar." Ukyo turned around, smiling, her anger vanished as suddenly as it turned up; the whole incident was just too bizarre to be properly mad for.

Looking a little weary, but otherwise fine, Ryoga walked up to her, relieved to finally see a familiar face. "Good morning, Ukyo, could you show me the way to—"

"I think this belongs to you." Ukyo cut him off, pointing a thumb behind her.

"Uhh..." Ryoga grimaced uncertainly for awhile before recollection came to aid. "What's that doing _there_?"

"That's what I'd like to know." Ukyo said pointedly. "I'd very much like _whoever_ owns it to get it out of my hair. What am I supposed to do with it? I don't want a tanuki outside of my restaurant, it's so unoriginal, I was thinking of buying something to do with okonomiyaki to put outside my door, like maybe a giant Osaka style—"

"Well, I didn't put it there! Why would I?" Ryoga interrupted her defensively, scowling. He was tired of always messing up and making mistakes, but at least he was sure he wasn't the culprit in this case.

"Whoa, tiger," Ukyo put her hands up, frowning slightly back at him, "did you get up on the wrong side of the tent today or something?"

Ryoga grumbled in the back of his throat; Ukyo always had some kind of snappy comeback for him, often making him feel uncomfortable and sometimes patronized. There were other times, though, when she could be quite civil. Now was not one of them, apparently. "Yeah, making fun of the "lost boy" is always entertaining, isn't it?" He shot back bitterly.

"Jeez, Ryoga! It's not like I'm trying to insult you! I'm only asking why you're so grumpy!" Ukyo exclaimed. "Why are you wandering this early, anyway?"

Drawing a breath, Ryoga contemplated telling her that he'd been sleeping very poorly as of late, but stopped himself at her next comment.

"I mean," Ukyo cocked her head to one side, "it's not like you have to get up to go to school or anything, is it?"

Ryoga paled a little, his jaw clenching. "That's right. I have nothing to get up for in the morning." He growled, his voice hard.

"Gods! Why do you insist on taking everything the wrong way?" Ukyo shouted at him, upset. She didn't like insulting people, even if it wasn't on purpose, and even if it was this big jerk here, who seemed like he _wanted_ to be put down. Other people fished for compliments, while Ryoga's natural cynicism and guarded disposition made him often see insults where none existed.

Ryoga just looked away, jaw still clenching tightly, brows furrowed.

"Keep that up and your face is gonna stay that way," Ukyo said brightly.

Ryoga was about to send her a biting reply when he turned his head and caught her disarming smile. "A-are you still making fun of me?" He asked timidly.

Ukyo stared at him, shaking her head, worried; what was he afraid of? "When did I start?"

Ryoga let his breath out, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Listen, sugar," Ukyo suggested, putting a hand on her hip. "I don't have time to deal with this thing, and I don't wanna just throw it away since it belongs to the Tendos. Could you take care of it for me?"

Ryoga studied her expression for a while. "Why don't you just ask Ranma?"

Ukyo glared at him. "Well, thanks a lot, mister gentleman!" She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I can't ask him, he's on a training trip with his father. He won't be back before around this time tomorrow."

Ryoga looked hesitant.

"If you don't, I'll have to take it there myself, and the breakfast crowd will wonder why Ucchan's is closed. You see, I do miso soup and onigiri and special breakfast okonomiyaki, so I'm the only restaurant in the area with a breakfast menu except the Nekohanten, and I really don't want to lose any business to them." Ukyo went on trying to convince him, then pulled out the secret weapon. "Please, Ryoga?" She asked sweetly, clasping her hands.

Of course, she knew she was being just a little manipulative; she could simply leave the tanuki there until closing time and then take it over to the Tendos, but dragging that heavy statue all the over to the dojo after a long day at work really didn't sound like much fun.

Ryoga swallowed, then nodded. After all, Hibiki Ryoga never turned down a damsel in distress, did he?

Walking over to the statue, he spat on his hands and braced himself before lifting it up. Aside from a small grunt, he didn't much indicate that this effort was that hard of a strain on him. Wiping his hands on his pants, he started tying the tanuki statue to his backpack.

Ukyo gave him a pleased smile. "Thank you, Ryoga."

"You're welcome." He replied gruffly. Ukyo shook her head, amused; spending all that time in the wild hadn't made him _completely _forget his manners...

"It's your statue, isn't it?" Ukyo said, nodding towards him as he finished fastening the tanuki securely to this backpack.

"It's _Akane's_." Ryoga corrected her firmly.

A smile suddenly sprouted on Ukyo's lips. "I remember you were lugging that thing around when I first met you."

Ryoga glanced at her, somewhat suspiciously. "Y-you do?" Why was she saying this? Was she going to accuse him of something he did back then or was she actually just reminiscing? Had she actually taken notice of him and remembered things about him?

"Yeah, of course," she said, nodding. "How in the world did you manage to carry it around all of Japan?"

He shrugged, hefting the backpack up onto his back, grunting slightly.

"You still think I'm a boy?" Ukyo then said, smirking a little.

Out of their own volition, Ryoga's eyes travelled across Ukyo's body, halting at her face. She was still wearing her okonomiyaki uniform, but she'd gotten rid of the chest bindings, and she'd grown up a little during the last year and a half, the swell of her bosom and her hips a little more rounded, enhancing her slim waist, a dash of adult femininity adorning her pretty face. It even looked like she was wearing a little make-up, and her hair had been brushed until it sparkled in the early morning sun.

"N-no." He replied shortly, blushing. Girls always had to ask him embarrassing questions, didn't they? "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Ukyo replied easily, grinning somewhat weakly at him, "It was kind of what I was aiming for, you know?" That didn't mean it hadn't still hurt, however. Odd that; she'd spent a large portion of her life trying to look like a boy, yet she'd been equally disappointed, angry and offended each time someone saw her for what she was dressed as. Deep down, she'd harboured the secret hope that someone would peg her as a girl right away.

Ryoga eyed her uncertainly. _You're lying, aren't you? _He thought sympathetically. "I'm still sorry." He told her, dipping his head in polite bow.

"Um..." Ukyo was taken aback; it was as if he'd read her thoughts. Was she really that transparent?

It was her turn to blush, and she tried to hide it by bowing to him. "Thank you."

Ryoga's eyes darting across her face, trying to read her. Something had just happened; he'd gotten an unexpected reaction out of Kuonji Ukyo. "I'd better get going." He said eventually.

"Yeah," Ukyo nodded. "I have to open up... the breakfast crowd's gonna start arriving soon."

Ryoga waved to her across his shoulder as he went down the street.

Carrying the humongous tanuki, he made for a comic sight, the tanuki bobbing up and down on his back as he walked. Ukyo giggled a little to herself before realizing something; Ryoga was of course heading in the wrong direction.

"Hey, Ryoga!" She yelled after him, her voice echoing between the buildings.

Ukyo saw him turn, looking curiously at her. "The Tendo dojo is _that_ way!" She informed him, giggling.

Ryoga slumped his shoulders, groaned, and headed in the direction in which she'd pointed him.

"When you get there, find out who dropped the statue on my steps so I can bill them for the damage!" She added before he could get out of earshot.

"Okay!" He yelled back, a hint of laughter in his voice, waving to her again. She waved back, chuckling.

Ukyo could swear that she saw Ryoga grinning to himself as he rounded the corner. It was an unusual sight, she realized with a start; Ryoga _never_ grinned like that. Frowning, concerned, she went inside to open up her restaurant.

* * *

Ryoga was walking a little slowly, lost in thought. He'd just been around to the Tendo house and returned the tanuki to Akane, who'd been politely grateful for it, but it had been apparent that she hadn't exactly worried about the souvenir he'd given her. After an awkward conversation and a cup of tea with her and Kasumi, he'd left. 

That tanuki had worn heavily on his back during the day and a half it took him to reach the Tendo house. Even if Ukyo had pointed him in the right direction, he'd gotten lost, of course. Ryoga clenched his fists; a treacherous part of him wanted, needed, _demanded_ praise for the hardships he endured each time he dragged gifts for Akane across half of Japan— but it wasn't as if he could whine to her about it. After all, it wasn't as if she asked for it, he did it all out of his own will. Yet there was just something slightly bitter about going through such pain for someone who never returned your feelings, no matter how noble he told himself that it was.

Nobility only kept you going for so long; after a while you needed something more tangible.

Akane was never rude, of course, she always thanked him, but they were polite words, not quite inhabiting the feelings he was looking for.

Groaning quietly to himself, he rubbed his aching shoulders. Sometimes he did wonder what in the world kept him going; Ukyo was right— it wasn't as if he _had _anything in particular to get up for in the morning. No job, no school, no real friends—

There was always the sunrise, but... sunrises and being noble? How stupid was that?

How pathetic wasn't it if those were the only reasons he could think of?

Well, of course...he helped people once in a while, during his travels. He had his strength going for him, at least. Ryoga liked helping people.

A thought that kept returning to him was about yesterday, when he'd helped Ukyo, and—

_"...thank you, Ryoga..."_

Ryoga had liked hearing that.

Ukyo could be quite sweet, really, but when they were scheming to break Akane and Ranma up, she turned into this little green monster, always slightly jittery, self-conscious, anxious, easily upset and snappish, and when things went wrong, which they always did, she took it all out on him. Ryoga didn't like being pressured and ordered around; it made him very nervous, and he always messed up when he got nervous; during junior high school he'd fainted in more than one school play. He just wasn't big on crowds and people expecting things from him; it made him ripe with performance anxiety.

Kuonji Ukyo was one of those ambitious, professional people who got things done effectively and expected everyone else to keep up with her, getting annoyed if they failed to do so, and who incidentally also had some dormant violent tendencies. Or more like napping violent tendencies.

Kuonji Ukyo was also one of those people who was a good listener, who tried to make you feel comfortable and whose bright smile understood you perfectly, who sympathized with you and who was friendly and companionable. How the two managed to co-exist in one body was beyond Ryoga's comprehension.

Unfortunately Ryoga had found himself too often on the business end of that damn spatula to feel completely safe around Ukyo. To be honest, he didn't have much reason to trust her, but the way she'd reacted to his scepticism yesterday had been unexpected. She'd been upset— not the violent kind of upset— and perhaps even a little hurt by the way he kept twisting her casual conversation into insults directed at himself. Furthermore, he could tell by her eyes that she'd also been upset back then, when he thought she was a boy.

Logically, her years of disguising herself as boy would have to be a sore point, but before yesterday, he'd never really seen such a soft side of Ukyo; she'd never really let on how much it had bothered her, and everyone just assumed that she was perfectly well-adjusted now that she had started dressing like a girl again. Seeing capable, self-sufficient Ukyo thrown off balance was a slightly disconcerting experience. Ryoga had simply told her that he was sorry, yet she had read interpreted it as exactly what he was thinking— the remark had struck very close to home. The fact that his words had the ability, the power to affect her like that, to catch her off guard— that fact really puzzled him. Kuonji Ukyo wasn't supposed to care less what Hibiki Ryoga thought.

It had felt strange to have a friendly conversation with Ukyo, just an ordinary conversation— as far as the mysterious appearances of tanuki statues in front of shop entrances went as normal— while their conversations were usually more like superficial shouting matches, neither really bothering to get to know the other, neither really considering the other's thoughts or feelings. Incidentally, yesterday's conversation had also involved a blissfully miniscule amount of references to Ranma...

"Yo, P-chan!"

Ryoga grimaced as Ranma came jogging up to him, the usual happy grin plastered across his face.

"Whatcha doin' here, Ryoga? Get lost on your way to the bathroom or something?" He enquired jokingly.

"Go away, Ranma." Ryoga said tiredly.

"What, no challenge this time?" Ranma cocked an eyebrow.

Ryoga's lips curled in disgust. "I'll send you a postcard, _Ranma-chan_."

Ranma grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Sounds like a challenge to me," He said, shrugging.

"Why don't you just take that challenge and stick it up your—"

"Ranma! Ryoga!"

Turning, the two boys saw Ukyo running towards them. "Hey, guys!" Ukyo beamed as she came to a halt.

"Hey, Ucchan!" Ranma grinned wider as he caught sight of her.

"Hi, Ukyo..." Ryoga mumbled, not sure where to put himself.

"I gotta run, I'm a little late for my theory class, just wanted to say hello and everything." Ukyo told them, bouncing slightly on her heels, anxious to get going.

"Hey, great! You finally managed to save up the money to get a driver's license?" Ranma smiled, happy for his friend.

"Yeah! Now I can drive out for supplies if I should run out and stuff, and maybe even visit home more often." Ukyo said enthusiastically.

"Maybe even give your old pal Ranma rides to school, eh?" Ranma grinned, nudging her conspiratorially.

She swatted his arm, chuckling. "In your dreams, mister! I have a restaurant to run, you know!"

Ryoga regarded them, his heart sinking a little as he tried frantically to think of some way of joining the conversation, but he knew little of their personal lives and had no idea of how to act like that, all friendly and chatty. He'd always been lonely in school, on the days he actually managed to get there, and now he felt excluded again. A thought that kept nagging him was that he only had himself to blame for it, and the horrible part was that it was probably true.

Now he felt like some kind of mannequin or like part of the scenery, having no active part in the conversation, simply filling up a void, numbly frozen in time and unable to leave.

As he looked up after a while, he noticed that Ukyo had turned her eyes on him.

"Hey, Ryoga," She directed that enthusiastic smile at him, and he was struck by incomprehension. "I just wanted to say thanks again for helping me out yesterday. Swing by the restaurant sometime, okay?"

"Uh...sure..." Ryoga replied, mouth shutting and opening uncertainly.

Satisfied, Ukyo's attention went elsewhere. "We're still on for tonight, right, Ranchan?"

Ranma nodded. "Sure, Ucchan. Meet you at seven?"

"Okay!" Ukyo smiled, hefting her bag more firmly onto her shoulder and turning to leave. "See you around!" She shouted, breaking into a run for her class.

As she left, Ryoga turned to Ranma. "So, um...you're going on a date with Ukyo?"

"Nah, s'just a movie." Ranma shrugged— then an idea popped into his head. He snapped his fingers, his face lighting up. "Hey, you can come too, if you wanna!"

"Wh-what?" _Why in the world would Ranma—_

"That way maybe Akane won't be so mad!" Ranma said triumphantly.

Ryoga frowned; so he was just trying to use him to his own advantage... "Why don't you just bring Akane too, then?"

Ranma shook his head. "No, they'll just start fighting and stuff, and besides, I don't want the whole fiancée mess going on when all I wanna do is catch a movie with Ucchan, you know? Some quality best friend time?"

"Look, you can handle your own problems. I don't wanna be your friggin' chaperone." Ryoga growled.

"What if I said you're gonna like the movie?" Ranma made another attempt.

"I don't really watch a lot of movies." Ryoga informed him gruffly.

"Then now's your chance to start!" Ranma exclaimed, exasperated.

"Ukyo won't like it." Ryoga said flatly, "And I'm not interested in being some sorta third wheel."

"Nah..." Ranma drawled, stretching the word.

"You know just as well as me that Ukyo expects to be alone with you. She thinks that it's a date." Ryoga gritted his teeth, glaring at Ranma relentlessly.

Ranma squirmed uncomfortably. "Jeez..." He groaned, tangling his fingers into his bangs, pulling his hair. "I'm not stupid, it's just that I keep hoping she'll...gods..."

"Give up?" Ryoga said pointedly.

Ranma stared at him. "I...I wouldn't quite p-put like that." He stuttered.

"No, you probably wouldn't, would you?" Ryoga said, almost hissing the words. "Because Saotome Ranma doesn't like the truth, does he? He doesn't like being honest?"

An angry scowl turned up in Ranma's face. "Looks who's talking, P-chan!"

Ryoga stepped towards him, baring his teeth in a vengeful grimace. "I wouldn't have to lie to Akane if it hadn't been for you! P-chan is your fault!" He shook his fist in Ranma's face. "And if we're looking at track records here, you're deceiving more people than me! Ukyo, Shampoo— hell, even your mother!"

"Don't you bring mom into this, you goddamn—" Ranma shouted, grabbing Ryoga's shirt.

"You hide your curse from her, don't you?" Ryoga said, his voice turning quiet and serious. "Because if you don't, there will be painful consequences?"

Ranma faltered, his grip on Ryoga's shirt weakening.

"You of all people should know what I'm going through, then." Ryoga nodded slowly, looking into Ranma's eyes, acknowledging the glint of understanding turning up in them. "We each have someone we can't reveal our curse to."

Ryoga stepped back as Ranma let go of his shirt. "You're right." Ranma agreed eventually.

"I won't tell if you don't." Ryoga promised. Ranma nodded, shaking Ryoga's extended hand.

"You wanna spar or something?" Ranma asked as they started falling into step, strolling down the street, heading nowhere.

"Spar?" Ryoga stopped, looking at him, puzzled.

Ranma held up his hands, eyes wide and innocent. "No strings attached, no challenge."

"Fine." Ryoga grumbled after staring him down. At least now he could vent his frustrations on someone, and it wasn't as if he had anything better to do...

* * *

Ukyo sat in her theory class, chewing on her pencil, staring into space when not taking notes from the blackboard. She would be going out with Ranma tonight, but her thoughts strayed elsewhere, to her restaurant, to the electric bill, to her driving lessons and, curiously enough, to the tanuki incident. 

It wasn't as if something really earth-shattering had taken place, but the whole thing had got her seriously thinking. It was odd...when she'd given Ryoga the time of day for about five minutes, she'd scratched beneath the surface. He always seemed to be in some kind of funk, always grumbling over something, which was often annoying when she needed him to be alert when he helped her scheming, and he always seemed so— so pathetic! It was often quite hard to take him seriously, what with all his melodrama, but this once, when she'd— she blushed a little, feeling guilty and rotten— when she'd treated him like a person, suddenly it was very easy to see that he wasn't just whining. He really was that uncertain, that jumpy and bitter. This guy had some serious trust issues, he was lonely, and had little or no ambitions.

That's the expression she'd gotten, anyway, and in turn, he'd clearly seen through her on one quite sore point. He wasn't as dense as he seemed at times; she'd just been too busy shouting things at him to notice. This newfound information churning around in Ukyo's head, she started contemplating Hibiki Ryoga.

Hibiki Ryoga was prone to rage; it was the very essence of his fighting style, and what— as any reasonably intelligent martial artist could see— made him unable to beat Saotome Ranma. Ranma had an easygoing nature, an agile body, a flexible yet controlled fighting style, and foremost— confidence. It was all a mystery, really, how he managed to be as confident as he was, what with all the craziness that went on in his life. By rights he should be a nervous wreck.

Hibiki Ryoga had agility, too, but what he really had in abundance was brute strength, which was useful but didn't make for a good martial artist unless you knew how to harvest it and use it to your advance. Ranma had shown her this shounen manga once, about this monk-in-training who learned about the principle of the yielding bamboo and the tall, hard tree. There was a storm, in which the monk expected the slim bamboo stems to snap at once, and the mighty tree to withhold the windy attacks, but because the tree stood unyielding and faced the storm head-on, it snapped under the pressure, while the bamboo, made of bendy material, swinging and yielding underneath the wind, stood unscathed after the storm.

It was quite easy; Ranma was the bamboo, while Ryoga was the tree. Using his opponents strength to his advance, swinging, dodging, blocking, building up his flexibility, Ranma used the minimum of required strength while Ryoga, attacking in a blinding rage, tired himself out. Not to mention the oxygen he wasted on screaming threats and curses. Like anyone knew, you waited for your opponent to attack first, to be able to read his or hers moves before deciding what to do. Then again, Ryoga had never been one for patience, and Ukyo supposed that wandering for days on end before reaching your opponent would really have to be a premium rage-builder.

Hibiki Ryoga was angry, suspicious, depressive, violent, reclusive and melodramatic, had questionable social skills, held grudges easily and let them stew instead of solving them. On the other hand, he was also shy, sweet, helpful, polite, persistent, protective, brave, a hopeless romantic and had a sense of honour you could bend girders around. A truly curious combination of personal traits.

Milling this over in her mind, Ukyo sighed as she jotted down notes about traffic rules which applied when getting off and onto highways. There was just no two ways about it, she simply couldn't go on treating Ryoga the way she'd been treating him.

* * *

Passing the same route she used to get to class, Ukyo was surprised at what she saw. 

"Are you guys still here?" She exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips, raising her eyebrows.

Ranma raised his head, grinning sheepishly at her. He and Ryoga were lying in a heap on the ground, panting from exhaustion, the dust around them kicked up, Ryoga's discarded backpack lying a few feet away. Their clothes were dirty and even a little ripped here and there, each sporting a juicy black eye. Ryoga blushed, getting up on his feet, dusting himself off, feeling awfully self-conscious.

Ranma, however, only looked like he found it all extremely hilarious. "Jeez, Ryoga, I think you cracked my rib!" He laughed, grinning like a madman.

"If you think it's that much fun, I could probably crack another one." Ryoga retorted.

"Lighten up, man!" Ranma chuckled, wincing as he clutched his side.

"RANMA!" Ukyo suddenly growled.

The two boys' heads snapped around to see Ukyo standing there, battle aura glowing fiercely. "You were gonna pick me up at Ucchan's in a while...and you planned to go looking like that?!"

Ranma blinked, then examined himself. Dirty clothes, dirty shoes, one sleeve of his shirt ripped and his hair looking like a haystack, not to mention the prettily coloured bruised adorning his face. "Oh." He said lamely.

"Why did you have to pick a fight right _now_?" Ukyo demanded.

Ranma grinned lop-sidedly. "It wasn't a fight. Right, Ryoga?" He elbowed Ryoga. "It was just sparring." Ranma laughed a little as he took in Ryoga's appearance. The lost boy's thicker hair looked even more frightful than his, he was just as sweat-stained as Ranma, and for some reason one of his shoes were missing.

"Honestly, you boys..." Ukyo sighed, bending down to pick up Ryoga's shoe lying by her feet, handing it to him. Predictably, Ryoga's face blazed with embarrassment as he replaced his shoe on his foot.

"You, mister," She said sternly, pointing to Ranma. "You go home and shower and change your clothes and meet me after that, okay?"

Ranma nodded, unfazed by Ukyo's scolding. He knew she wasn't really angry at him.

"Okay, catch ya later, Ucchan!" He smiled, waving as he ran home, leaping up on a fence a couple of yards down the road and continuing to run.

"And as for _you_—" Ukyo stopped herself as she turned to Ryoga, realizing that she'd let herself get caught up in the role of mother hen. Ryoga hadn't done anything wrong, and she had no right to yell at him. "Uh...how do you get clean, anyway? It's not like there's any mountain streams or anything close by." She asked lamely.

Ryoga gave her an unamused look, mixed with embarrassment. "Ever heard of a public bath house?"

Ukyo reddened slightly, feeling like a moron all of a sudden. "Do they usually let you in looking like that?" She shot back.

_Not always..._"Whatever..." Ryoga grumbled, looking away.

Ukyo considered him for a while, his bruised face, stiff shoulders and tense body language. "You could...um, you could use my bathroom to clean yourself up a little if you want to." She suggested timidly.

"A-are you serious?" Ryoga turned to her sharply, taken by surprise.

"Sure," Ukyo was grinning now, amused by Ryoga; he acted like she'd offered him a million yen or something. "Besides, I owe you one."

"Huh." Ryoga raised his eyebrows, scratching his neck in thought. "This isn't part of one of those stupid fix-Ryoga-up-with-Akane-to-get-Ranma-to-yourself plans, is it?" He narrowed his eyes at her sceptically.

"No," Ukyo said, chuckling. "It's part of one of those stop-Ryoga-from-stinking-like-a-pig kinda plans. Now come on!" She pressed, starting to move in the direction of Ucchan's, tugging impatiently at his shirt sleeve.

Wincing at the word 'pig', Ryoga followed her reluctantly. "Good. Because I'm not interested in those other kinds of plans anymore."

"What?" Ukyo asked incredulously, wondering if she'd heard him right.

"I'm not interested in those break-up schemes anymore." Ryoga said slowly, deliberately.

"Um...when did this happen?" She asked watchfully, sensing the strain in his voice.

"I guess you could say it's been building over time." He said dismissively.

"Oh." Ukyo said flatly.

"So you don't really have any use for me anymore." He added, a touch sourly.

For a long, drawn-out moment, she merely stared at him, shaking her head almost imperceptibly.

"My gods..." Ukyo moaned, pinching the bridge of her nose, as if she was getting a headache. "Why don't you just stop beating yourself up now, okay? Ranma's already done that for you."

Ryoga stared at her, mouth hanging open. He'd more or less expected her to make some lame excuse to leave when he told her that he wouldn't be her scheming partner any longer, and certainly not that she would make an attempt at cheering him up, of all things.

"Don't worry, though," she smirked wickedly, "by the look of things, you gave as good as you got."

"Uh...thanks?" He replied uncertainly after a while.

"That's right, Hibiki." Ukyo nodded approvingly, her smirk widening. "What happened just now is what we call a 'compliment' in layman's terms."

Coming back out of his fog, Ryoga glared at her. "Very funny."

Ukyo shrugged, smiling innocently at him.

They walked on in silence.

* * *

"Hey, you hungry?" She asked as they reached her restaurant. 

"I dunno...what _does_ an okonomiyaki cost these days?" He replied grumpily, still sulking over how she'd been teasing him.

"About as much as that shower's gonna cost you, sugar." Ukyo said as she locked them both inside.

"Uh...I'm not...I don't really have..." Ryoga mumbled nervously, his heart sinking. He'd thought this would be more Nabiki's style; just about charging people to _breathe_.

"It's free, Ryoga." Ukyo translated.

"Oh...of course..." He sighed gloomily, feeling stupid.

"The bathroom's upstairs," Ukyo went on, putting her book bag on a stool. When Ryoga hesitated, she smiled briefly. "Don't worry, I'll show you the way."

"I-I'm sorry..." Ryoga looked sheepish.

"No worries, I like playing the hostess." Ukyo informed him playfully as she led him upstairs and into the bathroom. "Okay..." Ukyo examined her bathroom. "The towels are in here..." She handed him a fluffy, white towel from a small closet beside the sink. "Do you have your own soap and shampoo?"

Ryoga nodded wordlessly as he stood there awkwardly in Ukyo's squeaky clean bathroom, clutching the towel like a life line. There was a pregnant pause as Ukyo looked at him expectantly, not really aware of what she expected him to say in the first place. For a moment her head spun a little with the unusual situation; she'd never really lent anyone her bathtub before, and inviting Ryoga into her private home like this felt...strange. Not many people had been up here, as her friends would usually hang out in the restaurant while she worked...well, by "friends" she meant Ranma, obviously, and maybe he'd bring Akane— he brought Akane quite often, to be honest.

Sure, she liked playing hostess, but it dawned on her as she regarded at the lost boy, looking more lost than ever, that she was always in the role of okonomiyaki chef while doing so. When was the last time she had a friend come over to visit her after work? And when, in fact, was the last time Ryoga visited a friend? Dropping off souvenirs for Akane at the Tendo dojo and stuttering incoherently for five minutes before running off in panic didn't count.

"Oh-kaay..." Ukyo drew a breath, clasping her hands together. "Just give me a shout or something when you're done, all right? I'll fix us something to eat."

"A-all right..." Ryoga said thankfully, all but holding his breath until Ukyo had left the room. Finding himself in Ukyo's bathroom hadn't exactly been his plans for today, although turning up in unexpected places was admittedly on the lost boy's schedule pretty much every day.

He felt so uncomfortable in this room, so out of place. When you were in a forest, everything was green and brown, and you didn't notice the dirt on your clothes as much. Besides, ever since the little incident at Jusenkyo nearly two years ago, Ryoga had felt slightly phobic about bathrooms. Here under the harsh glare of the white tiles, bathed in the yellow glow of electric light, Ryoga felt more self-conscious than he had in a very long while, even if he was alone.

The slightly sickly sweet, but above all clean scent of chlorine and various soaps and shampoos contrasted sharply with the rancid smell of his own sweat. He caught his reflection in the mirror, wincing when he realized this was how he'd looked, walking down the street with Ukyo. He'd thought he'd seen some people looking at them funnily, but he'd brushed it off as nothing. Jeez— no wonder Ukyo had pitied him enough to let him use her bathroom.

Feeling somewhat queasy in the confined room, he quickly turned the shower on to have something to focus on, letting it run for awhile to be sure that it would be hot enough not to trigger his curse, then started peeling off his damp, dirty clothes and even his bandanna before finding his bath things in his backpack. Feeling shy about being naked in a girl's house, he hurried into the bathtub, drawing the curtain as soon as he got in. After having scrubbed himself thoroughly and washed his hair a couple of times, he simply rinsed himself off, feeling that he had no right to take advantage of her hospitality by filling up an entire bathtub with hot water. Sure, her business was going well as far as he knew, but she was young and probably had enough of bills to worry about without having him add to her water expenses.

Ryoga sighed as he pulled on some more or less clean clothes from his backpack— anything was better than the ones he'd been wearing, either way. He felt like a heel, and wondered why in the world he ever agreed to come here in the first place. Why would Ukyo suddenly want to let him borrow her bathroom and give him free food? He'd helped her move the tanuki, that was true, but he was the one who'd brought the stupid thing to Nerima in the first place, and he didn't really deserve— did he?

There was a knock at the door. "Ryoga?"

"Uh, y-yeah?" He froze, uncertain.

On the other side of the door, Ukyo cleared her throat. "Um, if you're ready, you can come eat now."

"S-sure!" Ryoga was suddenly snapped back into motion, hastily putting on a fresh bandanna, donning his backpack and hurrying outside, almost in one fluid movement.

He was met by Ukyo looking at him strangely. At the resulting look of incomprehension he sent him, she started giggling behind her hand.

"What?" Ryoga asked, feeling his ears heat up under her scrutiny.

"That a new look or something?" She laughed.

Frowning, he turned to look in the bathroom mirror, and found that it was no wonder she was laughing. The hair on the sides of his head reminded him of some poor, road-squashed, small, furry animal— which he'd seen plenty of while wandering alongside highways— while his bangs stood straight up, drooping at the very tips, looking like something that a surfer would be delighted to ride his board through.

"Ergh!" He grimaced, pulling his bandanna out, tearing at his hair ineffectively.

Ukyo breezed past him. "Here," she said, handing him a hair brush from another small closet hanging by the mirror. "Use this."

Ryoga stared at her. "But...isn't this yours?"

"What, you have fleas or something?" She asked impatiently.

"Of course not!" He seemed offended.

"Well, then..." Ukyo shrugged carelessly.

Giving his hair a few swipes, feeling jumpy as Ukyo watched him, he was quick to return the brush.

* * *

Ryoga was surprised to find that what she'd prepared for them to eat wasn't okonomiyaki, but sukiyaki. 

Looking at her questioningly, she seemed to understand his puzzlement. "I hope it's okay. It's leftover sukiyaki from yesterday." She smiled. "I _am _able make other things than okonomiyaki, you know."

Glancing down at his food, Ryoga noted to himself that he wouldn't have guessed it to be leftovers.

"Besides," Ukyo grinned guiltily, "I'm going out tonight, and I don't want to be reeking of fried food."

"Ranma told me you were going to the movies." Ryoga interjected.

"Yeah," Ukyo beamed as she brought him some chopsticks. "I haven't been in ages, because Ucchan's keeps me so busy." _And because I have no one to take me there, _she added to herself.

"Um..." Ryoga hesitated; he knew it probably wasn't his place to tell her, but on the other hand, didn't she deserve the truth? "Ranma...Ranma asked if I wanted to come along," He managed to press out eventually.

It was a horrible thing to see Ukyo's sunny smile drop away at his words, and Ryoga instantly regretted telling her, but after a few seconds, Ukyo composed herself, the delicate lines on her face settling into a determined, cynical expression.

"I'm not surprised." She said quietly, the tone of her voice and the flickering expression in her eyes making Ryoga desperate to find something to say to her, something to comfort her with, anything, yet he had no idea what to tell her. "Last time he even asked Mousse."

Ryoga gaped a little before shutting his mouth. The nerve of that Saotome! "So I guess I shouldn't feel too special, huh?" He commented sarcastically, taking a healthy chomp out of his dinner.

Ukyo chuckled dryly. "I don't mind that he asked you, Ryoga. At least you're kind of his friend, and mine, too. We all got each other's backs when it really counts. But Mousse— what an obvious lame excuse! I have nothing against him, but he doesn't even really know the guy, and neither do I." She sighed, picking at her food. "I just wish he'd tell me up front, you know? That he'd stop giving me the wrong impression?"

For some reason, Ryoga suddenly felt the urge to defend Ranma; or perhaps more the urge to stop Ukyo from feeling like she was being played around by some jerk. "He feels kinda rotten about it all." He told her, putting down his chopsticks.

Ukyo lifted her head, blinking at him. "Really? He told you this?"

He nodded affirmation. "He just doesn't know how to..." Ryoga said solemnly, searching for the right words. "How to let you down easy?"

Ukyo swallowed, fighting down a myriad of conflicting emotions as she finally got her answer. Ryoga would have absolutely no reason to lie to her about this; telling her this would not gain him in any way. "He really...he really just wants to be friends?"

Ryoga thought for a short moment, "I think he's kind of frustrated about it all, and I don't think he wants to hurt you. He said he was tired of the whole fiancée mess."

"Mess..." Ukyo mumbled absently.

"Listen, I'm not a shrink," Ryoga told her evasively; he wasn't used to talking to people this intimately, especially not girls. "He just wants his best friend back, okay?"

"It's...it's all right, Ryoga." Ukyo waved dismissively to calm him down. She turned her back to him, starting to rummage through the fridge. "You want anything to drink?"

"Ukyo..." He said wretchedly, "you're putting me in a difficult position here. I don't really have a way to repay your hospitality."

"You have your manners, at least," Ukyo smiled at him, but he could tell her heart wasn't in it. "Coke, Sprite, orange juice, iced tea...?"

"Water will be fine," Ryoga mumbled dejectedly, picking up his chopsticks again and resuming his dinner.

Ukyo raised her eyebrows. "Whatever you say, Hibiki..." She said in a sing-song voice.

"Aren't you going to eat your dinner?" He asked carefully as she handed him a glass of water, to which she'd added ice cubes, a straw and a slice of lemon, probably just to make a statement about his boring choice of drink. He ignored it, removing the straw and taking a sip of water.

"Somehow...I think it'll keep until tomorrow..." Ukyo pressed her eyes tightly shut, rubbing her temple. "Leftovers from leftovers, huh? That's kinda funny..."

"Ukyo?" Ryoga asked, suddenly feeling genuinely concerned.

"Look, Ryoga..." Ukyo sighed. "If you really feel like you're in some kinda debt with me, then there _is_ something you could do for me..."

"What is it?" He asked reluctantly; she had a funny look on her face.

"Come to the movies with us tonight."

"Ukyo—"

"I'll pay if you don't have any money for the ticket," she pleaded, holding her hands up, ending his protest. "Please? It'd be a big favour."

"Shouldn't you...shouldn't you straighten this out by yourself?" He looked at her gravely.

"I..." She faltered. "I just don't know what to do, what to say..."

"It's not gonna do any good if I'm there."

Ukyo bit her lip, looking to one side. "Ryoga—"

There was a knock at the door, both looking around to see Ranma waving to them in the window.

Shooting Ryoga a look bearing a silent plea, Ukyo moved towards the door. Sighing as he deflated in defeat, Ryoga nodded once to her, agreeing to come with them.

A flash of a smile crossed her face before she turned to open the door for Ranma.

"Heya, Ucchan!" Ranma said cheerfully. "And Ryoga! You still around, huh?" He grinned a friendly grin in Ryoga's direction. "Does that mean you'll—?"

"Yeah, I'm coming with you." Ryoga mumbled before Ukyo could say anything.

"Hey, great!" Ranma was beaming from ear to her, missing Ukyo's suddenly glum look. "This'll be fun!"

"Yeah...fun..." Snorted Ryoga.

"I'll just..." Ukyo said, fiddling with her hair, not meeting Ranma's eyes. "I'll just go and change. Be back in a few."

"Okay." Ranma smiled, turning to Ryoga when Ukyo had gone upstairs. "I'm glad you changed your mind, Ryoga."

"Yeah, I bet you are." Ryoga growled.

Ranma narrowed his eyes at Ryoga's foul mood, then simply shrugged it off. "Anyway...looks like Ukyo doesn't mind that you're coming with us."

Ryoga said nothing, and Ranma misinterpreted the silence as agreement. "You know, I think your stamina's getting pretty good. You're pretty persistent, always have been," Ranma slugged his rival lightly on the shoulder. "Maybe I should start taking more training trips, huh? Getting all lazy hanging around Nerima."

"I thought you just came back from one." Ryoga pointed out.

Ranma shrugged. "Feh. Pop ain't much to train with anymore. Sure, he's strong, and I know he's still got some things he hasn't taught me, but he's getting slower. I could use some more training with you, though; you're getting to be almost as fast as me. You really gave me a run for my money this time, P-chan." Ranma smirked.

Ryoga's eyes had widened a little in the face of all this praise, but regained their glare at the utterance of the hated nickname. "If you really do respect me as a martial artist, you could stop calling me that."

Ranma pointedly ignored that wish; he liked teasing Ryoga too much to oblige. "I didn't beat you today, Ryoga." He mused, looking up into the ceiling. "Then again, neither did you. No one won, it was a tie."

Ryoga's face was sour. "This wasn't a real fight, Ranma. This was just playing around. When the chips are down, Saotome Ranma always wins," He said darkly, bitterly, "no matter how much it annoys people." He added, through gritted teeth.

"Ryoga...?" Ranma tilted his head inquisitively, his brow knitting.

"I..." Ryoga scoffed. "Whatever."

Ranma pursed his lips sceptically, but went on. Ryoga was always having some kind of mood swing, anyway. "Hey, what'd Ukyo mean today, by the way? About you helping her?"

Raising his eyebrows, Ryoga eyed him warily. Usually Ranma just kept on nagging him; it wasn't like him to change the subject like that, at least not when it wasn't him on the line. "Some idiot had dropped my tanuki statue in front of her street door. I simply helped her move it." He told him grudgingly.

A grin slowly started building on Ranma's face. "Ohhh...so _that's _where it wound up, huh?"

"I shoulda known that you—" Ryoga growled.

Ranma laughed loudly, apparently pleased with himself. "No, P-chan— the so-called 'idiot' you're looking for is Akane!"

Ryoga looked stunned, his jaw slack. "Whaaa...?"

Now Ranma was outright guffawing.

"Happosai was bothering her, so she just picked the first and best thing she could find and threw it, as usual!" Ranma rolled his eyes.

Ryoga looked crestfallen. _She just threw it away?_

"When will that uncute tomboy ever—"

"I'm ready!"

Ranma seemed oblivious, but Ryoga caught the somewhat strained tone in Ukyo's voice, belying the cheerfulness she had forced there. _It's amazing what you don't see or hear when you don't want to, isn't it?_ Ryoga thought to himself as he cast a sidelong glance at Ranma.

Some part of him had half-expected her to come swishing down the stairs in a dress, and now Ryoga wondered why. After all, it wasn't a real date, she knew that, and especially not now when he was tagging along. And besides, this was Ukyo— not exactly known for prancing around in pink, ribbon-infested dresses. Even so, the outfit she'd chosen gave her an air of "I've-lost-the-battle-but-not-the-war".

Ukyo shivered inwardly, bracing herself for the awkward evening she was about to throw herself into. She'd aspired to look dignified, feminine, in control of herself. Her hair had been put up in a long, dark ponytail, small tresses of hair released to curl at her temples, she had reapplied her softly coloured lipstick, and the red sweater and faded blue jeans that she were wearing clung gently to her figure, accenting her femininity. The neck hole of the sweater was large enough to bare her long, elegant neck, a little of her shoulders and her collar bones, but no cleavage. It looked casual enough, yet to the trained eye it was apparent that she'd put a little effort into it.

She'd contemplated wearing a dress, but decided that she couldn't have dealt with the questioning looks. Besides, if Ranma didn't want a date, he wouldn't find her pretending that it was one, either.

Ukyo drew a breath. "Well, let's go, guys!"

Ranma looked excited. "Yeah, come on, or we're gonna be late!"

Ryoga groaned to himself, wearing a pained look as he wondered how he got himself into these kinds of situations. Ranma's idea of "fun" was often Ryoga's equivalent of having root canal for three hours straight. Sometimes it seemed that boy could have fun no matter where he happened to find himself. Ryoga heaved a long-suffering sigh.

The grateful smile that Ukyo gave him as they left her restaurant somehow made it all seem less bad, though.

* * *

As they walked home from the movie theatre— well, home in her case; he wasn't sure where he was going, simply letting himself get swept along with the current— Ryoga noticed that Ukyo was smiling a strange little smile, chuckling quietly to herself. Turning inquisitive eyes on her, he nevertheless averted his gaze when she looked up. 

She sighed as they walked on. "I was being very silly in there." She confessed off-handedly.

"What?" He turned to her again.

"After a while I realized that I was sitting there, brooding to myself, trying to point out everything wrong with Ranma, every insignificant little thing that bothered me the slightest bit, like how he made comments about the movie or how he slurped his soda—" Her breath was a little shaky as she laughed. "It's a terribly petty way of trying to make yourself feel better."

Ryoga kept his gaze glued to the pavement for a while before clearing his throat. "He...he _was_ kind of annoying," He told her. "I mean, the way the kept slurping his soda even long after it was empty?"

She laughed a tired, yet mirthful laugh. "You don't have to cheer me up, Ryoga."

Grinning shyly, he went on. "It's true though, isn't it?"

She nodded, biting her lip in thought. "Yeah," she agreed. "It doesn't make me any less pathetic, though."

"I think the whole audience would agree," he went on, almost babbling, trying to keep her from putting herself down. "The way he kept—"

Ukyo turned a wry smile to him. "They would probably agree that you were snoring like a buzz saw, too."

Ryoga froze. He knew he'd nodded off a couple of times, but _surely _he hadn't— "I-I'm s-sorry, I didn't mean to be r-rude..." He stuttered.

She gave a short giggle. "Relax, you weren't snoring! But I'm surprised you even noticed what Ranma was doing, seeing how busy you were visiting Slumberland and all."

Ryoga kept his head down, relieved at first but feeling increasingly humiliated. Luckily he hadn't been snoring, but now she was_ laughing_ at him...

"Hibiki, you jackass..." Ukyo said softly. "The movie wasn't _that_ boring."

"I kn-know, I'm sorry..." He repeated, ashamed.

"Jeez! Where's your spine, sugar?" Ukyo lamented, rubbing her forehead. "That's not what I meant."

"Hmm?" He turned to her, curious but wary.

"I mean..." Ukyo continued in the same soft tones as before, inwardly scolding herself for the outburst. It was just that at times, he could be so infuriating! One minute he was yelling in rage, and the other he would just about apologize for being born! "What's been keeping you awake at night?"

Staring at her, Ryoga took a cautious step back. "What are you...why are you asking?"

"Because you look kinda tired, like you haven't been sleeping well." Ukyo explained flatly. "It's okay, Ryoga," She added sympathetically, "you can tell me."

Ryoga sent her an odd look. "Listen, Ukyo, I don't have a big secret or anything, it's just that I...I really don't know why you want to know."

"Oh." Ukyo blinked once, twice, for some reason feeling kind of cheated of something. _This should have been like one of the moments in those sappy movies where the troubled friend opens up to the heroine, and she tells him something really substantial about life and—_ she shook her head. _What am I thinking? _"Okay, I guess you would, um...look, Ryoga, I just...noticed that you looked kind of exhausted, that's all. You should take better care of yourself."

"Well, trudging through forests and cities all day and all night kinda doesn't leave much room for that, you know." He grumbled.

Against her better judgement, Ukyo was almost starting to be fascinated; first anger, then the depressive "I-don't-deserve-to-be-born-I'm-sorry" and then this! This...this sulking, self-pitying attitude, this "everyone-annoys-me" attitude— what would be next?

"Listen, you! I don't know what they teach you out in the woods, but where I come from, we have a little thing called empathy, you know? Caring? Compassion?" She almost barked.

"Actually, that's three things—" Ryoga interjected, but got cut off by Ukyo grabbing his hand and placing his palm on her chest, over the faint thump of her heart. He opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off again by her flat palm slapping against his chest, resting there.

"Do you feel that?" She demanded, indicating the heartbeats underneath his hand. "Human!" She pointed to herself, then him. "Human!" Then she pressed her palm harder against his heartbeats. "Empathy!"

Ryoga only stood there, completely still, mouth hanging slightly stupidly open, resembling the tanuki that started this whole weird turn of events, whatever this was. Against his better judgement, Ryoga was almost fascinated by Ukyo. First there was the friendly joking, then the wistful, depressive, self-destructive lamenting, then the soft, caring words, and then her anger flaring up at strange things and she was acting all crazy— what would be next?

"Get it?" She demanded again, only more gently this time.

He nodded, and she watched with something akin to awe as the blush rose on his face like the sun rising over a mountain range. There his wacked-out mood swings went again, this time from Mr. Self Pity to this shy, blushing guy, completely inept when it came to dealing with the other gender. And, she realized, right now he could probably feel, very directly, that she wasn't of the male persuasion. Ukyo sensed Ryoga's hand trembling, felt his frantic heartbeat under her own palm, and caught the look of fear in his eyes, the look of incomprehension and embarrassment. He was expecting violence, even though they both knew that this was all her doing. Was she really that bad?

But there was nothing to be ashamed of, really. It wasn't as if he was fondling her breasts or anything. In fact, he was barely touching them, his hand lying over her heart, the heel of his hand resting on the beginning of the swell of her left breast, his fingers on her collar bone.

Carefully, she removed his hand from her, and released him.

"I'm sorry." Ukyo said, frowning. "I shouldn't have done that, Ryoga."

"S-sorry for what?" Ryoga swallowed.

She looked up sharply. "Wh-what are you...?"

"You didn't do anything." Ryoga insisted. "I shouldn't have been so rude."

"I...I don't just mean now, I mean in the past...when I used you to get what I wanted." She sighed. "You said so yourself. Ukyo's infamous 'Get Ranma' schemes."

"It's okay," He shook his head. "I went along with them, it was my own decision."

"But I always bossed you around, always..." Ukyo choked on a sob. "Always hit you, and...and now you don't trust me!"

"Ukyo..." Ryoga fidgeted, looking around for help, any help. He wasn't good at these sorts of things. "I can take being hit, I'm not made of porcelain, you know."

"Only a heart of glass, right?" Ukyo smiled as she sniffled a little.

"Wh-what?" He looked absolutely mortified. _How did she...?_

Ukyo almost regretted her words. Maybe he didn't want anyone to know. "I heard you talking to yourself sometimes," She told him. "When you're upset, sometimes inner monologues refuse to stay inside, you know?" She smiled feebly.

Ryoga made a sound much like a strangled, plaintive whimper. Someone had heard what he'd been muttering to himself, and boy, had he said some stupid, theatrical, wannabe-Victorian poet stuff in his day—

"It happens to me sometimes, too." Ukyo confessed.

"R-really...?" Ryoga's voice trembled a little. Maybe she didn't think he was being stupid after all...

"Although I usually try to wait until I get to the privacy of my own home." She smirked wearily.

"Oh." Ryoga licked his dry lips. "I don't...I don't really have a home. Or, um, I _do_ have a home, but I usually can't, uh..."

"Get there?" Ukyo finished for him, nodding empathically.

"Yes," He said on an outtake of breath, like the air got knocked out of him.

Ukyo studied him; suddenly Ryoga seemed so young to her, so exhausted, and they _were_ young, weren't they? Sure, they were eighteen— well, _she_ was, anyway, since her birthday was in January; she didn't know when _his_ was— hence almost "adult" and were able to take care of themselves, but...but he looked so forlorn. When he wasn't racing around in some kind of berserker fighting rage, his eyes gleaming, ki blazing and fists clenched, he was like a picture of downtrodden misery. She couldn't feel pity, though— he was strong in his own way; how else could he have survived all those years alone in the wilderness or wherever he ended up? The boy had heaps and heaps of will power, that was for sure. That, or just abundant amounts of sheer stubbornness. What she did feel, however, was concern.

"Listen," Ukyo blurted, toying with the hem of her sweater sleeve. "I can take you there. Home, I mean."

Ryoga's eyes suddenly glinted with something like excitement before it got snuffed out as quickly as it had arrived. "No, I couldn't ask you to...it's getting late and, um..."

"You're not asking," She said firmly, "I'm offering. You have the address, right?"

Drawing a deep breath and letting it out in a sigh, Ryoga nodded. "Yes, I do have the address, at least."

Ukyo smiled. "All right, let's go."

* * *

It was a fairly large house by Nerima's standards, and it looked nice from outside, but from what Ukyo could see of the hall as Ryoga let himself into the house, it was quite dusty. Tidy, yes, but dusty, like nobody had taken a vacuum cleaner to it in at least four months. 

Slipping off his backpack, Ryoga turned to her as he rubbed his shoulders were the straps of the heavy pack had been chafing his skin and muscles.

"Well, um...thanks for getting me home." He said awkwardly, grinning sheepishly.

"No problem," Ukyo said, sending him one of her trademark cute and friendly Ucchan smiles.

"Uh...I'd invite you in, but..." He twiddled his thumbs.

"It's getting kind of late, yeah." She agreed.

"So, um..." He began uncertainly. "About Ranma..."

She drew a shuddering breath. "I...I know it's kind of pitiful, but I don't think I'm...I don't think I'm ready to give him up yet."

Ryoga frowned a little. "Are you...are you gonna be okay?"

Ukyo shrugged, sighing. "Hope springs eternal, I guess. I think I'm gonna keep trying, Ryoga." She looked him directly in the eyes, making him shift uncomfortably. Ryoga wasn't used to intense eye contact, especially not with girls. "How about you?"

Ryoga swallowed. "I...I don't know. I don't know if I can...sometimes it's so hard, and I...and Akane, she doesn't— I mean, she's always so...sometimes I just wanna forget it all..."

He started when Ukyo put a hand on his shoulder. "I know." Ukyo murmured. "Sometimes I just wanna forget I ever knew the jerk, but the way he makes me feel sometimes...that makes it hard to just ignore it all."

Ryoga gulped. "Y-yeah. Sometimes I think it's all gonna be over, but then something happens, and..."

"And you realize you're still caught up in it." Ukyo whispered, staring at her feet. "Good night, Ryoga," she said then, looking up at him, squeezing his shoulder lightly before letting him go.

"Good night, Ukyo," Ryoga replied, actually smiling a little. "You kn-know, I haven't had anyone to say good night to since...well, I don't know when, exactly."

For an instant, Ukyo's eyes lit up, and she chuckled; a soft, rich sound. "You're welcome. Sweet dreams, sugar!" She told him before she left.

"I hope so," Ryoga whispered tremulously to himself as she disappeared down the street. The nightmares of nights past would, with any luck, stay away just this once.

* * *

**Author's note: **

Correction of logical flaws

1. In the first version, Ukyo couldn't pick up the tanuki statue by herself. Correction: Ukyo is strong enough to pick up the tanuki, so now she does it herself. She still needs to get rid of it, though.

2. Akane threw the tanuki at Ranma. But how could Akane throw the tanuki at Ranma when he was at a training trip? So now I had her chuck it at Happosai instead. I'm assuming Ranma noticed it was gone and asked about it since it's a pretty big and noticeable thing.

3. According to the Japanese school year, the first semester begins in April. This is supposed to be late January/early February, so it has to be at the very end of their second year at Furinkan, not at the second month of their second semester of their last year at Furinkan. I messed up a bit since I was probably counting by the Norwegian school year, which begins in August and ends in June. So, correction…they're not both eighteen. Ukyo is only eighteen because I made her have her birthday in January, but Ryoga isn't eighteen yet. They— Ranma, Akane and Ukyo, anyway— have their graduation ceremony in March.

**Omiyage:** Souvenirs, usually food items.

**Tanuki: **Raccoon dog, a species native to Japan. It appears frequently in Japanese folklore and popular culture and statues of this creature are commonly found outside bars and restaurants in Japan. They can also be bought as souvenirs for good luck, though people would normally buy smaller versions than the huge, bar/restaurant-statue-sized one that Ryoga was dragging around. I've wanted one ever since I first read that issue of Ranma where Ryoga and Ukyo first met and so I just had to buy one when I went to Kyoto.

**Miso soup: **Soup made from fermented beans. The usual stuff to put in it is sea weed and fried tofu…maybe some leeks. "Sounds Disgusting, Tastes Great" should be its slogan. Mmm, miso soup…

**Onigiri:** Little, compressed portions of rice, usually shaped like triangles or hockey pucks. There are many different kinds of onigiri. Some are completely wrapped in sea weed, some only have a small strip of sea weed around a part of them, some are sea weed free and some are grilled. There are many different tastes to them, also. There's mushroom onigiri, chicken onigiri, leek and onion onigiri, bamboo sprout onigiri, fish onigiri, fish egg onigiri, sweet plum onigiri…the list goes on.

Yep, that's the same explanation of _onigiri_ that I used in _The Exit_.

**Sukiyaki: **Sukiyaki consists of meat, vegetables and other ingredients, slowly cooked or simmered in a shallow iron pot in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin (Kantou style). In Kansai (Osaka, Kyoto region), the meat is first grilled in the pan greased with tallow and then flavoured with soy sauce, sugar etc. and the rest of the ingredients added. Before being eaten, the ingredients are usually dipped in a small bowl of raw, beaten eggs. A common joke in Japanese comedy is that making passable sukiyaki can be done with a very tight budget, especially if one is poor. (Source: Wikipedia)


	2. Futari

**Omiyage: Futari**  
By Ninnik Nishukan

* * *

"Hey, Ucchan! Isn't that Ryoga's house?"

Seeing Ranma in high spirits was nothing unusual, but today he was positively...peppy. They'd bumped into each other at the market; Ranma out grocery shopping for Kasumi, and Ukyo out acquiring odds and ends for her small apartment above the Ucchan's. The ingredients she needed for her okonomiyaki restaurant were delivered to her directly, but she had to restock her private kitchen herself.

Ranma had been a whirlwind of enthusiasm and zealousness during the last fifteen minutes they'd been walking together now, talking her ears off about his day and offering to carry the stuff she'd buy. His good mood was probably in no small part due to the wonderful weather they were having— Ranma always seemed to burst with energy in early spring days— but also, as he had confessed to her, because these shopping trips provided him with an excuse to get away for a while from the house. Away from Soun's bawling, his father nagging him about honour and marriage and the art, Happosai trying to grope him in his girl form, Nabiki blackmailing him and Shampoo breaking down walls whenever she came for her unannounced visits.

He didn't mention anything about Akane being tiresome, though.

Funny, that.

On the other hand, Ranma hadn't mentioned Kasumi in that respect, either, but why would he? Kasumi was the one who gave him an excuse to leave in the first place.

Kasumi could be quite perceptive sometimes, in her own mild-mannered way.

Now Ukyo turned in the direction of where her enthusiastic friend was pointing, and sure enough; across the street laid the Hibiki residence.

"I don't think I've been there since Shirokuro had puppies!" Ranma grinned. "Why don't we pay old Bacon Breath a visit while we're here, huh?" He suggested amiably.

For a moment, Ukyo was about to ask him why, but held her tongue. If she thought about it, she knew to herself that it wouldn't be just to bother Ryoga— Ranma had always had a kind of grudging respect for his rival, as had Ryoga, and like Ukyo had told Ryoga herself, they always had each other's backs when it really counted. Besides, if you didn't count the perverts he hung out with at school, Ryoga was basically the only male friend Ranma had.

Last week, when they went to the movies together, Ranma had had a great time. Something as simple as that, and he had a great time, because he could finally be in the company of his best friends—_ can't be his girlfriend, can't be his only best friend! What am I, then? _The thought snuck up on Ukyo without warning, and it made her want to kick herself.

_There I go with the pettiness again,_ she gritted her teeth. _It wasn't enough that I was jealous of Akane— now I'm jealous of Ryoga, too?_

"Ucchan?"

Ukyo looked up. "Hmm?"

Brief concern flickered across Ranma's face. "You okay with visiting Ryoga?"

Nodding slowly, Ukyo joined him on the way towards Ryoga's house. Maybe this would give Ranma a new person to aim his overwhelmingly good mood at.

As they neared the house, she found herself conjuring up Ryoga's face in her mind's eye. For some reason, this had the same effect on her as when she thought about problems with her restaurant or with Ranchan; a considerable amount of concern resurfaced in her, then some disturbing, foreign ache—

She was actually worried about the guy. It dawned on her that they hadn't seen him for a few days, and no one had any idea where he was, if he was still in his house or halfway to Okinawa. To be honest, no one ever really knew where Ryoga was, she realized with a sinking feeling.

They rang the door bell, and, showing patience and foresight— _for once,_ Ukyo thought affectionately— Ranma decided they should give Ryoga some time to find the front door.

When Ryoga finally answered the door a record-short six or seven minutes later, it creaked open haltingly, just a tad, just so he could get a glance at them. Ukyo could see only half his face, one eye blinking owlishly against the bright daylight. "Ryoga?" She asked incredulously. At hearing Ukyo's voice, he swung the door fully open, taking a step forward; then he saw Ranma and frowned, trying to compose himself.

"What's with you?" Ranma tilted his head, eyebrows rocketing skywards.

"I...there were some robbers here last night." He shrugged in an attempt to appear unfazed; judging by the looks they were giving him though, it was obviously way too late for that. _Why do you always have to make such a big deal out of everything, Hibiki?_ He scolded himself. "I guess they thought the house was empty," He said quietly. They'd been no match for him, of course, and he hadn't really been startled, but it had still come as an unpleasant surprise to have the family home broken into. The real reason he knew he had be looking a bit strange, though, was that he'd been sitting alone in the dark for a couple of days, and he knew he hadn't had enough to eat.

"No wonder, either," Ranma looked past him, into the house. "Why are all the lights out?"

"They went out about two days ago." Ryoga shifted uncomfortably. "Mom and dad probably forgot to pay the power bill again. We hardly ever stay here, anyway."

Ranma frowned. "You don't have any candles?"

Ryoga looked down. "Couldn't find them." He mumbled.

Ukyo's eyes grew large with shock. "You mean to say you've been spending these last few days here alone in the dark?"

Ryoga kept his eyes trained on the floor. "I'm used to it." He replied simply.

"You...have you been eating?" She asked, concerned.

"A little." He muttered. "Rations are running sorta low."

"You look kinda pale..." Ukyo told him softly, reaching out a hand, touching his cheek before he even knew what was happening. He wasn't used to anyone touching him like that, except when he'd bump into his parents by chance once every few years. It happened so seldom— and this was a girl, too— that it was like lightning striking when Ukyo touched his bare skin. The touches he was used to the most were the slam of fists and feet in battle.

"Funny," Ranma smirked, "he looks kinda _red_ to me."

After craning her neck around to send a brief glare Ranma's way— _can't he see this is serious?_— Ukyo turned back to Ryoga, moving her hand to his wrist. "You're kinda cold, too," She added. "Guess the radiators are out, huh?"

Ryoga just nodded.

Ukyo dropped his wrist, considering him for a moment. "Listen, why don't we go for a walk?" She suggested then. "Looks like you could use the air."

At that, Ryoga looked conflicted. "What about...?" He asked timidly, indicating the house. Ukyo smiled wryly. "Just lock it up. We won't be gone for long. Besides, I doubt there'll be any daylight robbers."

"O-okay," Ryoga relented, avoiding their gazes.

"Got your stuff?" Ukyo asked.

Ryoga nodded. "Right here," He said, picking up his backpack from a corner in the genkan, as well as his shoes.

Ukyo couldn't help noticing the massive pile of old mail that cluttered the genkan, most of which were commercial leaflets and crumpled envelopes. It wasn't hard to tell that this was a house that was frequently deserted.

As they turned from the house when Ryoga had locked the door, his whole body tingled with a strange sense of relief, maybe freedom as well as fear. Ryoga was used to being alone, always alone, but he was used to wandering as well, and there were always some people around then, but now he'd been sitting alone in the dark in that house, unfamiliar even if it was his own, and—

"Hey, let's get some dinner!" Ranma piped up only a few steps down the sidewalk.

Ukyo grinned lopsidedly, shaking her head. "I swear you have as much enthusiasm for food as your dad— even when he's a panda!"

"What?" Ranma shrugged. "It's dinner time, isn't it?"

Grinning overbearingly at Ranma, she turned to Ryoga. "How 'bout you, sweetie? You look just about ready to eat a whole horse there."

"Wouldn't mind some dinner." Ryoga mumbled, slightly embarrassed over all the attention he was getting from the two of them.

"So, where should we go?" Ukyo asked, glancing back and forth at the two of them expectantly.

"How 'bout—" Ranma cut himself off short, rattling the bags of groceries demonstratively. "Oh, dammit, I was s'posed to take these home to Kasumi! She's making dinner at home." He shrugged one shoulder apologetically at Ukyo. "Some other time, okay?"

A disappointed expression crossed Ukyo's face fleetingly, but then she rallied, nodding. "Yeah, let's see if we can't squeeze lunch in sometime this weekend or something."

"Spoken like the true business woman," Ranma remarked, chuckling as Ukyo shook her head, trying to look exasperated even as she forced down a giggle. "See you 'round." Ranma added, pleased. "Bye, pork face!" He grinned at Ryoga, waving at the two of them as he took off at a brisk jog.

As she turned to him, Ukyo noticed Ryoga's fists clenching, his mouth a tight line, and she tilted her head, curious. "Don't mind him, he doesn't mean anything by it." She said soothingly. Ryoga looked up, startled. Oh, he_ meant_ something by it— but if her expression was anything to go by, luckily Ukyo was oblivious as to what.

"Uh...yeah, probably not." He mumbled, unconvinced, forcing his fists and shoulders to relax. "So I guess I'll see you whenever." Ryoga said dejectedly, turning to go find his house again. That'd probably keep him occupied at least for a day or two, he figured.

"Hey!" Ukyo exclaimed, growing angry. "Where are you going?"

Jumping a little at Ukyo's yell, he looked over his shoulder, confused. "What?"

Ukyo stomped over to him, elbows sticking out, fists bunched. "Are you _ditching_ me?"

Ryoga's eyes went wide as saucers. "But-but Ranma's not coming, so I thought—"

"You only wanted to come if _Ranma_—" Ukyo's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"No!" Ryoga yelled, upset. "I thought _you _wouldn't wanna, I mean, if he didn't..."

Suddenly Ukyo smiled, chuckling a little. "I see." She took his arm, pulling him along the street. "Come on, kiddo, it's you and me."

"O-okay." Ryoga gulped, his whole body full of the jitters as he could feel the warmth of her against his upper arm even through her jacket. He just wasn't used to this; having a friend who was interested in spending time with him for reasons other than sparring or battle, and, if it came to that, having a friend who was a girl, to boot.

He looked sidelong at her as they walked, and found he liked what he saw.

Ukyo had let her hair, which had been just past shoulder length before, grow until it now reached past the small of her back. She wore it loose, streaming behind her, and she had a small smile on as she pulled him along at a casual, yet eager pace. Due to the mild spring weather they were having, she was wearing jeans and a long-sleeved, green top under a light, open jacket; green was a good colour for her, he noted. Set beneath her mocha-coloured hair, it reminded him of the forest during evenings.

In the back of his mind there was the sudden knowledge that from now on, the forest during those lonely evenings would remind him of her, of this day. Abruptly, he tore himself from his reverie, swallowing; what was up with these weird thoughts? Ryoga invariably felt like a moron each time he started waxing poetical— Nerima only needed one Kuno Tatewaki. Luckily, he hadn't said anything out loud, at least— the 'heart of glass' thing the last time he'd met Ukyo had been bad enough.

Shaking his head, he turned his attention towards the other people on the street, and found himself looking at other girls. They were pretty, sure, but he realized his gaze met with an unhealthy amount of pastels, frilly skirts, make-up, dainty handbags, and above all, high-heeled shoes. _They'd never last one second in the mountains or in the forest_, he thought, and mentally slapped himself. Those girls probably had no interest in dragging themselves through such ordeals, anyway; they doubtlessly all had school or jobs and boyfriends and friends and hobbies and—

Akane dressed like that, he realized. On the other hand, she also wore her karate gi or jogging outfit more often than not, and he'd seen her hiking in the mountains; she was good at it. Still, she liked all those girly things, and supposedly so did Ukyo as well, though she didn't really show it that much. She'd started dressing in a more feminine manner, yes, but she didn't seem to want to get into a skirt. If he saw Ukyo in a skirt, he'd be likely to choke on his tongue in shock, he thought; it'd be that much of an unusual sight.

"Ryoga!"

"Huh?" He looked blearily at Ukyo; by her annoyed expression it was obvious that she'd been trying to get his attention for a while._ That's what you get for letting your thoughts wander, Hibiki._

Ukyo whapped him over the head. "I _said_, what do you want to have for dinner?"

"I, uh..." Ryoga floundered.

Rolling her eyes and sighing impatiently as she realized he wasn't about to suggest anything useful, Ukyo dropped his arm, halting. "How about pork katsudon?" She looked at him expectantly.

Ryoga found that other things would make him choke on his tongue in shock as well. "P-pork...?"

Ukyo stared at him oddly. "Now what?"

_How about a delicious side dish of human flesh to go with that?_ Ryoga thought, dizzy with nausea, but what actually came out was: "Um...how about beef instead?"

Still rather thrown by his the paleness of his skin and his suddenly basketball-sized eyes, Ukyo nodded reluctantly. "Sure, Hibiki— you're the one's who's been locked up in a house with almost no food, so you get to choose." She shrugged, taking his arm again.

As Ryoga caught up with his equilibrium, he realized he should be wondering why Ukyo insisted on clutching his arm like some boy scout helping a little old lady across the street.

"Ukyo?" Ryoga asked tentatively, plunging ahead before she answered. "What's with the...uh..." He glanced down, indicating her hand gripping his arm. Ukyo's gaze travelled downwards with his; she dropped his arm like a hot potato when she caught the strange note in his voice, the hesitant look in his eyes.

Putting a little distance between them, she glued her eyes to the pavement as they walked. She swallowed as she felt her heart crowd her throat before sinking like lead to her stomach. What was it with her and boys? What was she, poison ivy? Toxic waste? The plague?

Another guy shying away from the okonomiyaki transvestite— and it wasn't even as if she was interested in him! What was he thinking, that she was some deprived weirdo who was pretending that this was a date or something?

A cloud of gloom was gathering above Ukyo's head, her feet dragging where her steps had been light, quick before. Maybe the girls from her old school, where she went until she started junior high, had had the right idea about her back then, maybe—

_"You know Ukyo, right?" _

_"Well, have you **smelled** her?" _

_"Have you noticed the way she always **reeks** of grease and fried cabbage?"_

_"I had to sit next to her in class for two entire periods, and I thought I'd die from the stink!"_

_"And what's with the boy's clothes? Is she all 'confused' now or something?"_

_"Yeah, her name must be **really**_ _convenient for her, I mean…"Ukyo"? Could it **be** any more sexless?"_

"_Isn't that actually an old-fashioned name for boys?"_

"_Oh my gods, that's pathetic!"_

"_Yeah, and the way she binds her chest down even if she's barely started growing any breasts at all, she'll end up being more flatchested than any boy, if you ask me—"_

_Well, who **asked** you? _Ukyo thought, a sob dying deep in her chest. Suddenly she gasped, halting abruptly.

A downwards glance told her that yes, Ryoga had indeed taken her hand. Ukyo let her eyes drift up to his face, and what she saw made her stiffened frame turn to rubber with relief. Although his hand felt large, warm and the grip was firm, he looked just about as nervous as a young school boy speaking in front of class for the very first time. This fact made her feel much better, for some reason.

He stuttered something unintelligible, and she smiled a little, deciding to bail him out. "Good idea," she said, starting to walk again, pulling him with her by the hand. "This way you won't get lost."

They both knew he'd done it because he'd inadvertently wounded her ego, but apparently both had agreed silently to leave the subject alone.

But Ryoga realized now why she'd been dragging him by his arm earlier. Enough association with him in the past had taught her that he really _did_ wander off in whatever direction unless guided. He figured he should be feeling ashamed, but if she'd found a solution to his problem, if even just a temporary one, that was at least something to be grateful for. If anything, it was better than being dragged along by his shirt or his ear, like she used to do when provoked.

Besides, this hand holding business...well, it was definitely something one could get used to.

The small size of her hand made him feel...protective somehow, like he was responsible for her safety even as she was actually the sole thing standing between him and the Lost Adventures of Hibiki Ryoga. Sure, she was fast, but she wasn't as strong as him or Ranma, so she'd be pretty helpless once someone got a hold of her, someone like, say, Pantyhose Taro or whatever freak with a claim for vengeance due for a visit to Nerima next.

Gods, _he_ was one of those freaks once, he knew that, but he would never— Nerima sorely needed some peace and quiet, that was sure. He would get his cure, and once he'd gotten rid of P-chan he was pretty certain he'd be able to let himself make peace with Ranma and then he'd...he'd give up on Akane. There was nothing there for him. She was his friend and she stood up for him, but she didn't love him, he knew that, painful as it was, and she never would, not like he'd wanted.

If he kept holding on to that ghost of a chance, he'd hurt himself even more than he'd already had, and he'd just keep on doing it until it killed him.

This conclusion had come to him the hard way, and—

He jumped.

"So...how about shabu shabu for dinner? It's _kind of_ expensive, but..."

Ryoga craned his head around to be faced with one of Ukyo's high voltage, sunny smiles, as if she hadn't just jabbed his side with her elbow.

Ukyo shrugged. "And I haven't had it in ages, so…" She added.

He smiled back tryingly. "All right." As he watched her cheery smile, though, he felt a brief stab of pity for the girl.

Ukyo would learn the hard way as well.

* * *

Ryoga listened to the sizzle as Ukyo dipped a thin slice of beef into the shabu shabu pot in the middle of the table. It was kinda cozy, eating straight from the pot, filling him with a rather calming sense of familiarity as it reminded him of camping. Of course it was frustrating never knowing were he was, but the actual camping itself was kind of his life style, and he didn't really mind that part of his curse so much.

The huge backpack with the red umbrella strapped on top that he'd placed beside him on the restaurant floor earned him a few strange looks from the other customers, but otherwise they could've been just another young couple or pair of friends out for dinner. Well, just another pair of martial artist friends, anyway, one of which had a curse that turned him into a little black piglet at the drop of a hat, used a battle technique fuelled by depression and had a severe lack of any kind of sense of direction, and the other, who'd turned okonomiyaki into a fighting style and okonomiyaki ingredients into weapons and who had a history of cross-dressing for a decade in order to pose as a boy.

He could tell that one or two of the younger people in the restaurant knew who they were and most likely wondered what they were up to. They were probably pupils from Furinkan or possibly even St. Hebereke, and if so, had witnessed fights between himself and Ranma, Ukyo and Ranma or maybe even the one between Ukyo and himself. No wonder if they were curious.

Ukyo looked pretty normal right now, but he was aware that he was dressed kind of oddly. Correct attire for hiking? Sure. Correct attire for a restaurant? Nah.

Ukyo looked at her companion, miles away as usual, and prodded his shoulder with her chopsticks to get his attention. It wasn't a very ladylike thing to do, but then she'd had a very relaxed attitude towards those kinds of things for a long, long while. It didn't do to curtsy or giggle when you were supposed to be a suspiciously pretty, yet tough and masculine martial artist guy. Luckily she hadn't forgotten how to giggle, but some things, male things, like a few aspects of body language, they just... remained.

When Ryoga looked at her, she tilted her head and raised her eyebrows demonstratively to give him a little wake-up call. "You enjoying the meal, Sugar?"

She smiled a little as he nodded furiously, slightly embarrassed. "Sure, yeah, it's delicious, it's just...I don't eat out much. I mean, I eat _outside_ all the time, but not out, like out-out, y'know, restaurant-out...?" He trailed off, seemingly realizing that he'd just bought himself a one-way ticket on the babble train.

Ukyo didn't seem to mind, though. She laughed, actually; the soft, rich laugh he'd only heard once or twice before from her. _He's kinda, sorta cute_, she thought,_ but he has no clue that he is, and he probably wouldn't believe it even if one of those girls over there went up to him and practically spelled it out for him. _She regarded him as he blushed before lowering his eyes to the table, and she felt a sting of sadness, watching him trying to curl in on himself. Why was it always the decent people who went through life without compliments?

"But you're enjoying it so far?" She asked lightly, smiling.

He just nodded, picking up a mushroom and sticking it in the shabu shabu pot. Her smile became crooked, amused. Well, whaddaya know, first he was dead quiet, then babbling his head off, then with the tomb impression again. He really was kinda weird. Ukyo conceded she didn't really have a problem with weird, though, seeing as her love interest was an aqua-transsexual martial artist with two other fiancées besides herself and a panda for a father.

"Ryoga?" She asked patiently. "Why were you sitting there alone in the dark? In your house, I mean? Why didn't you just leave?"

Ryoga swallowed the mushroom and looked at her solemnly. "I...I guess..." Ryoga licked his lips nervously, his eyes starting to dart from her to the table top and back again before finally settling on her. "If I leave," he said simply, "I won't be able to find it again."

Ukyo just stared at him. "But...but there was no electricity, no food, no other people..."

"I'm used to it." Ryoga said for the second time that afternoon.

Ukyo gaped a little. "But still, I mean, you shouldn't be sitting there all alone and freezing...and _starving_, for crissakes!" She gestured, upset. "If you're out walking somewhere, you'll always find something to eat sooner or later, but if you think you're not able to leave..."

Ryoga wrung his hands. "It's...it's the family home. I only stumble across it every few months or years, so I kinda wanted to stay for a while..."

Ukyo didn't know how to respond to this, and so she decided to leave it alone. Obviously he had his reasons to do what he'd done, even if she thought it was crazy. "So, uh..." She floundered a little. "What were you doing? You know, to keep yourself busy?"

"I had a flashlight at first, so I was able to read a little, but the batteries went dead pretty quickly." He shrugged. "After that I read during the day, by the window."

"You read?" Ukyo looked mystified.

Not surprisingly, this offended him. "What, you didn't think I could?" He asked sourly.

Ukyo scowled. "I _know_ you can read, don't be stupid! I just meant...like, what're you reading?"

He twiddled his thumbs, settling down. "Well...among other things, I read Akutagawa Ryuunosuke."

Ukyo's eyes went as big and round as footballs.

"What?" Ryoga asked warily.

"Akutagawa?" Ukyo raised one eyebrow.

"Uh-huh?" Ryoga frowned.

"Akutagawa Ryuunosuke?" Ukyo raised the other.

"Right." What was she getting at?

"Akutagawa Ryuunosuke." Ukyo said flatly.

"Yes!" Ryoga grew increasingly irritated. "What are you—"

"Akutagawa Ryuunosuke as in the his-mother-went-mad-after-she-gave-birth-to-him, killed-himself-at-a-very-early-age Akutagawa Ryuunosuke?" Ukyo exclaimed, standing up abruptly.

"Uhh..." Now it was Ryoga's eyes that widened as he backed away in his chair, seemingly trying to melt through the back of it. Ukyo was acting _really _weird! "What's your point?"

"You were sitting alone in the dark, in the cold, you were lost, starving— and you were reading Akutagawa Ryuunosuke!" She grabbed him by his ear, pinching him. "What is _wrong_ with you? What'd you read as a kid, _Franz Kafka_?"

"Oww! Hey, I can read what I li—" Ryoga protested, squirming in her grasp.

"Are you _trying_ to get depressed?" Letting go of his ear, Ukyo showed her face into his, lowering her voice to a whispering hiss. It was too late to start whispering now, however; they were already commanding the attention of every single person in the restaurant.

"Um, Ukyo..." Ryoga said quietly, nodding his head towards the rest of the lunch crowd.

Blinking, she turned to look at everybody else, and lightning fast, she was seated again, already clearing her throat and smoothing down her top. "A-hem." She bathed a square of tofu in the shabu shabu pot before dipping it in the soy sauce and then in the sesame sauce and popping it into her mouth along with some steamed rice. She kept chewing for a long while, shoulders squared and eyes half-closed demurely, the very picture of composed calm. Finally she dabbed at her lips with her napkin and looked up at her companion.

"Sorry 'bout that." She told him in a small voice.

"It's okay." Ryoga said automatically, eyeing her carefully.

"It's just...you really frustrate me sometimes." She went on in the same subdued tone.

"Wha..." Ryoga's voice trailed off, stunned.

"I mean...I know you've got your problems," Here she chuckled mirthlessly. "Don't we all, huh? But...but it's like you're _deliberately_ adding to the pile, you know?" She looked into his eyes sincerely. "Why are you always so gloomy?"

"Depression does wonders for my Shi Shi Hokodan," He attempted levity. By the look on her face, he was failing miserably at it. "Well, it does," he persisted, his lips pursing spitefully. He hadn't expected Ukyo going all Psychology 101 on him, and so he wasn't prepared to deal with it. He busied himself with his food so he wouldn't have to answer, eating generous helpings of rice and cooking vegetables and meat in the pot before dousing them liberally with soy sauce and sesame sauce.

She just kept looking at him, though, her chopsticks hovering over her plate, and so in the end, he felt he had to say something. "Let me pick up the bill this time, okay?"

Luckily, this seemed to divert her. "Why the sudden burst of chivalry? I thought you didn't have any money?"

He shook his head. "I didn't, not the last time I met you, but I do now. I worked a little in construction in Osaka while I was gone last month, and my salary should've been put into my account yesterday."

Ukyo tilted her head. "Construction?"

"Yeah, I walked by a construction site one day and happened to lift this I-beam that was in my way, and for some reason they hired me on the spot." He shrugged.

"Gee, I wonder why," Ukyo rolled her eyes.

He pointedly ignored the comment. "I also did some work for a sister company of theirs, a wrecking company. They said the Bakusai Tenketsu was particularly useful."

"So, did you like it?" Ukyo put her chin in her hand, leaning forward. "Would you work in construction again?"

Ryoga thought for a moment. "I don't know. It was kinda boring sometimes, 'cause I had to basically stay in the same spot all the time to keep from getting lost, and they all watched me like hawks for the same purpose." He looked at his hands then, resting on the table top. "I think...I think maybe some of them were kinda, y'know...scared of me." He didn't meet her gaze. "Th-they said I was freakishly strong, always joked about me taking all their jobs away, said I did it all too fast and too effortlessly." He added in a low voice.

Ukyo didn't quite know what to say, but her thoughts strayed to her own past in Osaka, the bitter, jealous looks of other okonomiyaki chefs as they claimed she defied the laws of physics in how quickly she prepared the traditional Kansai dish.

Suddenly Ryoga cleared his voice, sat up and looked at her again. "Anyway, I needed the money." He said in an _almost_ convincingly careless tone.

Ukyo simply nodded; she knew exactly how he felt. "Okay, Mr. Knight in Shining Armour, it's your treat." She smiled at him, and for a moment, it seemed like he felt better for it.

He smiled at the moment of repose he discovered then, listening to the hiss of the shabu shabu pot as Ukyo cooked the vegetables and meat, finding both the sight and the sound to be peculiarly serene.

* * *

"Hey," Ukyo remarked once they'd stepped outside the restaurant (they'd managed to pay their bill and vacate the premises with only a few odd looks) holding her palm up, her face tilting skywards as she smelled the slightly metallic-scented atmosphere. "It looks like—"

She heard a sound like 'FLOOMP' behind her, and turned to see that Ryoga had already opened his big, red bamboo umbrella.

"—rain." She finished, slightly put out. His behaviour warranted a couple of raised eyebrow and a quirked mouth. "See, right now I don't know if you've got unearthly quick gentlemanly reflexes or if you're just plain weird."

Ryoga blinked doubtfully, looking a little trapped. Then he did something curious indeed. "Both." He said cockily, with what could only be called a saucy smirk. Those looked really strange on Hibiki Ryoga, who was usually the one being smirked _at_.

No matter what he was, though— simply weird or a gentleman with good reflexes— it made Kuonji Ukyo laugh. "Hibiki, you are so—"

The sky chose that moment to rain cats and dogs on them. Well, just ordinary rain, of course, but you could never be too sure in Nerima.

Ryoga winced, as he always did in the presence of enormous amounts of cold water, and hunched his shoulders underneath the umbrella, grateful for the instant shelter it always provided him with in such emergencies. He just didn't have a clue what he was supposed to say if Ukyo found out—

"Oh, jeez!" Ukyo squeaked in surprise as the heavy sheet of rain bore down on her. She jumped underneath the umbrella with him, clinging to his backpack and arm and ducking her head, pushing her long hair over one shoulder to hang down her front so it wouldn't get wetter. "You got a handkerchief or anything? I think I'm already soak—"

He'd already handed her one of perpetually many from his ever-present bandanna storage on his head. "Thanks," she said after staring at it for a moment. She took it and started wiping her damp face and throat. "Hurray for unexpected downpours, huh?" She asked ironically, handing him back the bandanna. He stuffed it into a pocket somewhere and glanced down at her.

"Hurray." He agreed in an equally flat voice. Of course, she had no idea how much he _really_ hated unexpected rain, or why.

She couldn't help but laugh again. "Let's get indoors, okay?"

He nodded. "If you wouldn't mind just showing me to my house again, I'd—"

She looked horrified. "What! Do you honestly plan to spend more time alone in that dark, cold— get a grip, Ryoga! Do you wanna get _sick_? You're coming with me to my well-lit, warm apartment where there's plenty of food and—"

"U-Ukyo, I don't want to impose...i-it wouldn't be right..." Ryoga swallowed; was she actually asking him to stay with her? Borrowing her bathroom was one thing, but _this_...!

Ukyo was scowling hard now, one fist on her hip. "If you're worried about 'imposing' on me, don't be, and as for owing me any debts of gratitude or whatever, well— you've got money now, right?"

Ryoga just nodded.

"Look, I gotta do some shopping on my way home, so if it'd make you feel better, you could pay for it." She looked at him expectantly. "That sound all right with you?"

"We-ell, if you put it like that..." He was still hesitant, but she could tell he was relenting.

"Besides," She cocked her head, preparing to slam down the Hammer of Reason. "You don't expect me to walk all the way home by myself in this weather without an umbrella, do you?"

His eyes travelled searchingly across her face for a moment, then he chuckled quietly at what he saw. "The first hand of this round goes to Miss Kuonji," He shook his head in amusement. "By playing her trump card, damsel in distress."

"Team Hibiki, zero points!" Ukyo went on gleefully.

Ryoga rolled his eyes. "Let's just go."

"Zip, zilch, nada..."

"Come on."

"...niente, nil, void...all in all; nothing!"

"Okay, okay...!"

* * *

During the walk home, Ukyo noticed a number of things about her friend.

Hibiki Ryoga was taller than she'd thought. Being that Ranma, who was of about average height, was a little taller than Ryoga, Ukyo had always had this odd mental picture of him being short, but he really wasn't, and certainly not now.

She watched him as they walked, huddled up together under the roof the umbrella made, in a sort of cocoon of rain-deafened silence, a peaceful little bubble of him and her and the backpack, and then, after a trip to the store, several bulging bags of groceries— odds and ends for her private kitchen and more rations for him, including batteries for his flashlight, and candles— and her scrutiny brought her to the conclusion that while he was still a little shorter than Ranma, he'd grown since she'd first met him.

Not only did his arms and legs look longer, but they, as well as his torso, had increased in girth. Didn't they say something about a boy when he began to near the age of eighteen? That he finally started resembling a man?

And indeed she noticed with fascination the same changes she'd noticed in other boys at school; the broader shoulders, the sharper jaw and the pronounced Adam's apple. She'd noticed things in herself as well, of course, things that raced through her body with a vengeance, refusing her to ever pretend to be a boy again, scolding her for her past. How could you bind this chest down, her growing body seemed to say, how could you wear those clunky shoes? And those unflattering pants, her full hips added accusingly. How could you tie your hair back in that low, boyish ponytail? And of course she'd started paying attention to the scariest of all; the almost completely unexplored area between her thighs.

All these things told her that she was a woman. Under the quiet of the umbrella, she listened to her long hair swish back and forth and felt her hips sway with a small but very satisfying weight that hadn't been there before.

Then there were the other things she'd noticed about Ryoga. He seemed nervous, and at first she'd thought it was because of her, but then she'd caught his expression as a drop of water strayed too close to his face. It was pure and utter terror.

Every time a rain drop dripped from the umbrella and landed on his sweater-clad shoulder, his shoe, anything, he'd scrunch his face up in fright and disgust, resembling a cat hissing at water. He was afraid and uncomfortable, and she wondered why.

As they reached her shop, she leapt underneath the banners as she unlocked the door, shivering a little with the slight dampness of her clothes and hair. She dropped her bags tiredly on the floor in the shop and kicked her shoes off. By the door, Ryoga was very carefully shaking the water off his umbrella, holding it out from his body at arm's length.

Refraining from comment, she took the umbrella when he was done and put it in the umbrella stand. She flashed him an encouraging smile before turning to walk upstairs with her grocery bags. He removed his shoes with haste and followed her.

It was a small kitchen, obviously built for one, or possibly two. He'd seen it briefly before when he'd passed it the time he'd used her bathroom shower, but they'd had their dinner down in the restaurant, so he hadn't actually been in here before. She put the bags on the counter and turned to him. She could tell all this silence was starting to unnerve him a little, so she smiled again. "Just put your bags there in the corner, okay?" She told him helpfully, pointing. He nodded and gathered his few bags in a small heap in the corner. "Wait here a sec." She threw this over her shoulder and disappeared into the hallway. When she returned a few moments later, she had changed into a thick cotton yukata and soft terrycloth slippers, her hair slightly ruffled by having patted it with a towel.

"Tea?" She asked politely, already turning on the electric water heater.

Feeling the urge to join her in filling the silence with words, rather than just nodding, he said: "Tea would be great."

"Comin' right up!" She said while getting out the tea and two mugs from the cupboards, much in the perky manner he'd heard her use with her customers.

There was a rumble of thunder outside, but it went mostly unnoticed by the two. Ryoga settled against the kitchen table as he waited, taking some weight off of his legs. He sighed, rubbing his neck as he watched her prepare the tea, listening to the rain pitter-pattering against the kitchen window, glad to be inside.

"How 'bout some TV?" She suggested after a while, filling up their mugs.

Accepting the mug from her, Ryoga grunted indifferently. "Sounds fine."

"Here, just put your backpack there by the table." She nodded towards the small kitchen table. "C'mon," She ushered him into the hallway when he'd set his backpack down, and guided him into another room he hadn't been to before.

He halted.

"Uhh...isn't this your b-bedroom?" He asked timidly, twiddling his thumbs. Thunder again, and he thought he caught a zip of bright lightning outside Ukyo's window.

"Yeah, so?" She asked absently, putting her mug aside on a small table so she could crouch down to turn on the television set.

Biting his lip, Ryoga shifted a little. "Sh-should I be in here, I mean, um..."

"Wow, you really love making a big deal out of things, don't you?" Shaking her head, Ukyo sighed. "Look, this is a small apartment, you know, so this isn't just my bedroom, it's my living room as well. Hence the TV and the couch." She got up and grabbed the remote control. "Does that stop your maidenly heart a-fluttering?"

Ryoga's face reddened quite harshly and abruptly at this unexpected assault on his person. She _really _could've refrained from making that last comment. "You know, it wouldn't hurt if you actually started acting a little more sensitive and polite once in a while. You know, like a _girl_?" He growled through clenched teeth, and she whipped around, outraged, opening her mouth to bark a reply—

With a flicker and an electrical groan, the entire house went dark.

"Oh, great." Ukyo groaned.

"What happened to that so-called 'well-lit house' you were advertising earlier?" Ryoga remarked dryly, unable to help himself, as he was still stricken by her earlier insult.

"Shut up," Ukyo muttered. "And don't move." She warned, stalking out of the room.

Scowling by himself in the dark, Ryoga put his mug beside Ukyo's and plopped down on the tatami mats, leaning his chin in his hand. Honestly, Ukyo could be so—

There was loud bang, as of bone and flesh hitting wood. After having spent many years practicing martial arts, Ryoga was quite familiar with that particular sound.

"OOWW!"

He was on his feet in a flash. "Ukyo!"

"Fuck...!" He heard her exclaim, and thought to himself that he hadn't been too far off about the un-ladylike behaviour.

"Ukyo, are you okay?" He asked tentatively.

"Yeah, I just stubbed my toe," He heard her hiss in pain. "Stay put, Hibiki."

Ukyo hopped back to her room, dumping candles, matches and the flashlight with batteries onto the tatami floor. "Here, replace the batteries while I light some candles."

After a while, Ukyo had lit several candles and put them on a plate, and he regarded her in her loose, chequered yukata, hair around her like a halo in the candlelight, watched her soft mouth and wondered how such a creature could talk like a boy and curse like a sailor. He saw her wince and momentarily forgot about the flashlight.

"Let me look at your foot," He urged her softly, reaching out to pull off her slipper. She gave him an odd look, but offered up the foot in question. Ryoga laid her heel in his palm and drew off her slipper carefully, setting it aside. There was some slight discoloration beneath the nail of her big toe, and she was bleeding a little, but otherwise she looked fine. "It doesn't look too bad." He assured her. "Does it hurt when I do this?" He asked, pressing gently on her toenail.

Ukyo grimaced. "A little."

Ryoga released her foot, settling it on a small pillow from the couch. "Sorry about...what I said...about how you could use to act more like a...uh..." He looked down, pushing the last battery into the flashlight and clicking the lid into place, trying to distract himself.

Ukyo grinned lopsidedly. "I probably had it coming."

"No, you didn't, I'm—"

She held up a hand. "No, _I'm _sorry, I shouldn't have said..." She cleared her throat. "You're just shy, and I shouldn't be making fun of it." She got up laboriously and took the flashlight from him, hobbling into the hallway. "I'll just go and put a cold cloth on my toe. Be right back."

Ryoga was about to offer to do it for her when he remembered he couldn't. With his sense of direction, he wouldn't be able to find the bathroom, and with his Jusenkyo curse, he wouldn't be able to prepare a cloth soaked with cold water for her. He rubbed his eyes in frustration. He was so _useless_!

The beam of electric light told him she was coming back, and he got up quickly and went over to her, taking her arm and steadying her frame, lowering her gently to the couch so she could sit. He was astounded to find that this actually made her flush a little. "Chivalry isn't dead, I see," She commented in a bashful voice as he slid the small pillow back under her aching foot.

"Least I could do," He mumbled evasively, moving over to the low table and retrieving their mugs, handing Ukyo hers.

"Thanks." Ukyo said as he sat down beside her. "Usually I love thunderstorms, but this is ridiculous," They both took a long sip of their tea. "Kinda wanted to watch some TV." She pouted. "There's supposed to be a Cowboy Bebop marathon on tonight."

Ryoga shrugged; he had no idea what Cowboy Bebop was, or probably none of the other shows she watched, either. His particular lifestyle didn't allow much for TV. "At least we're not outside in a tent," Ryoga said, trying to console her. "I got hit by lightning once."

Ukyo gaped. "You're kidding?"

Ryoga shook his head gravely. "Nope."

"What h-happened?" Ukyo asked tremulously, shocked both at the story and at the casual tone in which he told it.

Ryoga shrugged. "Dunno, got knocked out, I guess."

"You are one tough bastard, Hibiki," Ukyo breathed, shaking her head incredulously.

He shifted a little, trying to ignore her rough speaking habits. "But when I woke up..." He sighed a bit. "I love thunderstorms, too. Everything smells so, y'know, fresh and invigorating afterwards, like Nature's been swept clean." He glanced at her shyly; he'd never told anyone that before.

Ukyo nodded. "I got caught out in a thunderstorm with my yatai once, and it really is like...like a slap in the face, but in a good way. Like your mind is suddenly as clear and brisk as the air. It feels so strange...and you can smell the earth, wet and heady..." She took a sip of tea.

"Especially summer thunderstorms, it's like they're hot and cold at the same time, you feel clear and fuzzy all at once." Ryoga interjected softly. "Like sleep-walking awake." He went on, staring at his hands, folded in his lap.

It was mushy and slightly cheesy, and the kind of thing you'd only say when there was only you and one other person in the room, not the kind of thing you'd talk about with your friends at lunch time. They'd probably think you'd gone soft in the head.

"You're a poet and you don't even know it," Ukyo chuckled, and this seemed to pull Ryoga out of his reverie. He looked up, looked into her eyes, and her smile told him that now they were sharing some vague little secret together. Insignificant as their feelings about thunderstorms may have been, it was still their secret. "Ryoga... I'm sorry for the way I freaked out at you at the restaurant today." She regarded him, searching his face for a reaction. "It's just...I was like that for awhile, back when I was in junior high school, and I didn't want you to be doing those things." These last words fell out of her mouth in a rush, as if she'd just decided on saying them and wanted to get them out before she changed her mind.

"Hmm?" Ryoga frowned, confused.

The cozy, private and calm atmosphere had got her feeling like this was the time to get things out into the open, to explain herself, but now she'd grown insecure of what to say. "When I was fourteen, I didn't...I d-didn't have any friends and I'd more or less given up on ever getting my revenge on the Saotomes, and I was always, you know, hiding in my room with the lights off and thinking all sorts of...bad stuff." Ukyo gestured vaguely.

The words were light enough, but he could tell this was a tenderer subject for her than she let on. This seemed to be one of those things _she_ hadn't told anyone. "I was always being all depressing and reading those kind of seriously— well, you know that old bestseller by Tsurumi Wataru? What's it called again?" She looked to him for an answer.

At the mention of this particular author's name, Ryoga felt a chill in his gut. "The Perfect Suicide Manual?" He asked reluctantly, wincing inwardly.

The realization dawning on her face became evident as she gaped. "You've _read_ it?"

Ryoga could sense his own face burning with shame and embarrassment. "I...I didn't really, uh, it wasn't..."

"You weren't really thinking of...?" Ukyo let the rest of sentence hang in the air, insinuated. Here in the dark, in the flickering candlelight, the question seemed even more terrifying in its implication.

Ryoga squirmed a little, trembling. "No...maybe, when it was..." He took a deep breath, collecting his wits. "No." He said firmly, and watched her exhale with relief; the sight did something to him, made him want to give her a promise. "I thought about it at times, but...no." He shook his head. "I wouldn't, Ukyo."

"Shouldn't scare a girl like that, Sugar." Ukyo said, reaching over and squeezing his hand, her eyes a little moist and sparkly with unborn tears.

That was when he realized it. She might love Saotome Ranma, but she actually did care about Hibiki Ryoga too, even if it was just as a friend. Being Ukyo's friend, though, he thought, wasn't just "just".

He smiled back.

* * *

"You know," Ukyo said thoughtfully, as the storm went on outside, the rain against the window and the occasional burst of thunder, flash of lightning and the howl of the wind creating a strange ambiance inside the house. "Right about now, there should be a crack of lightning, and the door should creak open with the moaning wind to reveal—"

"The hallway." Ryoga said flatly. "Besides, paper sliding doors don't creak. It'd be more like this "swoosh!" kinda sound—"

"Ooh!" Ukyo squealed in frustration, bopping him on the head. "Have you no sense of dramatics?"

Ryoga shrugged, as unfazed by blows to the head as he always was; it'd been nothing but a light smack, anyway. "I dunno, I've never really went for those kinda stories." He scoffed. "I've seen enough weird stuff to last me a lifetime just by passing through Nerima. Why would I want to read about it, too?"

Ukyo huffed. "I don't care, I like it. Chills, thrills, suspense— what's not to like?"

Ryoga shuddered, looking like he'd just sucked a lemon. "Suspense...! Blagh! Suspense is just...awkward." As the evening went on, Ukyo had fetched them a plate of senbei to snack on, and now he helped himself to another one. He was getting kind of thirsty, though, seeing as there was no power to heat the electric water boiler, sending them into a tea shortage.

"It's just entertainment." Ukyo protested, irritably snatching a senbei from the plate between them on the couch.

Ryoga gave her a look. "Didn't think a level-headed girl like yourself would—"

There was a whip-crack of lightning, the wind moaned, and the window of Ukyo's room creaked slowly open behind their backs with a piercing keen of wood and metal.

"Aaaahhh!"

"Eeeek!"

Ryoga whipped around to the window, the skin on his back having turned into a hundred per cent goose bumps, and therefore failed to see Ukyo jumping with fright and lunging for him, still screaming and now also kicking, her foot catapulting the plate of senbei into an airborne arch, clattering to the floor with a racket, crispy senbei flying everywhere, breaking.

Just as he discovered that there was nothing outside the window but a tree branch, he found himself with an okonomiyaki chef attached to his neck, screaming her head off while seemingly trying to create a hole in his chest by burrowing her nose into it. He could feel her shaking uncontrollably, and put his hands on her back in an attempt to calm her down.

Ukyo started again; something was touching her back! Her scream reached a pitch only heard by dogs as she reached behind her to grab whatever it was and throw it off of her. Unfortunately the 'something' was Ryoga's hands, so she propelled them both off the couch and down to the floor in a tangled heap of limbs.

This was the moment the power chose to come back on.

Ryoga sat up, rubbing his shoulder, which had taken the brunt of his weight as he landed. Blinking against the suddenly bright lights, Ukyo clutched the back of her head in pain. "Uhh..." She mumbled intelligibly as she looked up at him looking down at her lying crookedly on the floor, her yukata riding up, leaving her long legs exposed.

Ryoga reached out a hand to help her up, averting his gaze from the gracefully curved limbs. "And that's why you shouldn't read horror novels." He told her sagely.

Ukyo couldn't help it, it was all just so silly; here she was, lying on her back in a pile of crushed senbei, with a stubbed toe and a dishevelled yukata, having just screamed her head off and probably frightened poor Ryoga half to death, and all because she let herself get scared by imaginary spooks. She let out a thorough belly laugh, unlike any he'd ever heard from a girl before. With other girls, especially the ones wearing the frilly pastel dresses, it was always the girlish tee-hee-hee's, hidden coquettishly behind their hands. Ukyo's laugh was loud and happy and slightly obnoxious, and all in all, completely wonderful. He watched her for a while, grinning at her laughter until she'd ridden it out, and then offered to help her up again.

"Woo..." She said on an out breath, looking tired but content as she let him lift her from the tatami floor. Then she winced a little as she put her weight on her stubbed toe. "Ooh, it still kinda smarts." She said, hopping over to the couch. "Could you close the window?" She asked absently as she examined her toe, pressing the cloth more firmly around it.

When he'd locked the storm outside again, and gathered up the plate and the broken pieces of senbei, Ryoga turned to her. "You screamed, too." Ukyo said triumphantly, a pixie-like expression in her eyes and a smug smirk on her lips.

Ryoga glowered. "I was just...startled. Wasn't like I thought there were any _ghosts_ outside like _you _did."

"Whatever you say, Hibiki." She said nonchalantly.

"Well, the power's back on..." Ryoga said hesitantly, uncertain as to how long he was welcome to stay. "Did you want to watch television?"

Ukyo shook her head. "Actually, I'm kinda tired, and it's getting kinda late, so I think I just wanna go to bed."

"Oh." He said dully before sidling a little towards the door. This probably meant he had to go. "Um..."

"There's a spare futon under the bed." Ukyo said warmly, rising to his aid. It was clear he had no idea what she intended, whether he was supposed to leave or not. "Would you mind laying it out?" She continued, getting up to go to the bathroom to get ready for bed. "By the way, you've got a sleeping bag, right?" When there was no answer, she glanced over her shoulder.

Ryoga was busy doing a very fine impression of a stunned deer. "I...uh..."

Ukyo sighed a little before giving him a friendly look. "Ryoga...it's not like I'd let you get yourself lost in a storm like this, and there's plenty of room here, so I don't mind if you stay." She examined his nervous expression. "All right?" She asked patiently.

This seemed to snap him out of it. "Yeah, um," He shook his head as if trying to dislodge a thought. "Sorry, Ukyo. I'll get the futon."

* * *

It felt strange, Ryoga thought, spreading his sleeping bag across a soft futon in a girl's bedroom in a nice, warm apartment instead of on the ground or on a thin inflatable mattress in his tent.

It also made him feel strange when Ukyo came out of the bathroom in a modest cotton nightdress— the only dress he'd seen her in so far— and with a freshly scrubbed face. He'd never seen a girl getting ready for bed, except maybe a few glimpses of Akane when he was stuck in his pig-form, and then he'd kept his eyes closed most of the time to give her her privacy, even if she was fully dressed. Now, in Ukyo's apartment, it was like entering a whole new world, it was like being whispered tiny secrets to.

It was the little things he noticed now, like how she didn't look much different with her make-up off than she did with it on, because she hardly wore any. When she came and guided him to the bathroom so they could brush their teeth, he noticed a lot of things that he'd been too busy to notice the last time he was in there. Here, he noticed a small pile of hair grips, elastic bands and bows and the hairbrush she'd let him borrow, and there, he noticed— and he blushed at the discovery— a box of tampons. He also spotted a bag of cotton balls and a bottle of make-up remover. The small black bag next to it had to contain make-up, he reckoned. He was on unfamiliar ground, though, so he couldn't be sure.

It was odd to see Ukyo's bathroom if you knew her. Even if she didn't exactly have a pink, fuzzy rug in front of the toilet, floral-patterned walls and one of those vanities that he'd seen in the movies with the little light bulbs all around the mirror and a ton of perfume and paper flowers, it was still obvious that this bathroom, with all its little feminine odds and ends, belonged to a girl.

A girl which he was now standing next to, brushing his teeth. He kept glancing side-long at her, watching her loose hair, the bit of foam around her mouth growing as she brushed her teeth, and her legs peeking out from under the baby blue nightdress. She caught him looking at her and chuckled a little, which made for quite an amusing sound, what with the toothpaste lather currently occupying her mouth. Then she leaned down and spat it out in the sink without reservation. He raised his eyebrows; that was Ukyo. No fuss, no muss.

He choked a little on his toothbrush as Ukyo's nightdress rode up when she leaned forward, and he caught sight of her well-toned upper thighs.

* * *

Seeing her bathroom, or indeed, her upper thighs, was no match for actually sleeping in her room, however. After saying goodnight, she crawled into her bed and more or less fell asleep instantly. She must've had a tiring day in the restaurant before he met her.

It was relaxing, listening to her steady breath in the dark. It was an unfamiliar sensation to hear another human being, a girl, sleeping so peacefully this close by when he was just Hibiki Ryoga the young man, and not P-chan the pig. As soothing as her presence was, though, it still kept his mind busy, all these new experiences he'd just had.

He had a friend, suddenly. Someone who cared.

But it still bothered him, the thought that _he_ might be a bother. Did she ask him to stay simply out of pity?

"Ryoga?"

She was awake; he hadn't noticed the change in her breathing.

"Mmm?" He asked tentatively, glancing at her.

She smiled wryly in the dark. "Can't sleep, huh?" _How strangely comforting it is to wake up during the night and have someone to talk to_, she reflected.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"Never mind that. What are you thinking about?" Ukyo whispered, looking up into the ceiling.

"Uh...nothing." He dismissed it.

"Ryoga?" She asked softly, and he relented.

"I...um...why did you let me stay here?"

Ukyo scoffed. "What do you mean? There's a storm out there! You know, the kind with rain and thunder?"

"No, I...you didn't have to..."

Ukyo took in his words; he was still unsure as to why she was letting him stay here. And in truth, she hadn't given him a good explanation yet, not really. "You're good company, Ryoga." She rolled around so that she was lying on her side, attempting to see his face in the dark. "You don't think I get lonely sometimes, too?"

"Uh, s-sure," He stuttered, "Um...don't we all?" He added lamely, feeling out of his depth. "But I m-mean, here I am, in your room, and I'm a guy, and...um..."

Ukyo smiled softly. "Listen, I know you're kind of nervous around girls and all, but don't worry about me. I'm pretty much used to this, sleeping in the same room as guys, I mean. I did go to an all-boys school, remember?" She shrugged. "It's no big deal."

_So that was why she didn't have any trouble falling asleep, _he thought. "But, um...you're engaged..." He reminded her carefully.

In the dark, he heard her draw a slightly shaky breath. "Ranma...Ranma wouldn't ca— wouldn't mind much. He trusts me. Besides," She added sternly, narrowing her eyes. "You wouldn't try anything..._indecent_, would you?"

She heard Ryoga splutter with embarrassment and offence, and knew she had the upper hand. "O-of course not!" He hissed finally. She waited for a moment while he composed himself, heard him clear his throat. "But...but what about...Ukyo, I know I can be a lot of trouble, what with my lousy sense of direction and with my tendency to break stuff, and— are you sure you want me here? Wh-what if something happens to your restaurant? I could leave right now, no sweat, I have my umbrella—"

"You hate yourself that much?" Ukyo asked sharply.

Ryoga was struck dumb. "...huh?"

_Jeez! Will he ever stop torturing himself?_ This boy's confidence went up and down like a frikkin' seesaw! It was so dizzying! She was starting to honestly worry if maybe he wasn't one of those manic-depressives she'd heard about. Ukyo didn't know whether to laugh or to cry, so she did neither. "Go back to sleep, sweetie. I like having you here." She whispered kindly.

"R-really?" Ryoga swallowed, still unable to utter more than two syllables.

"Uh-huh." Ukyo nodded. "And tell you what...it's Sunday tomorrow, so how 'bout you keep me company on my day off, huh? That is," she added hastily, "if you want to."

"R-really?" Ryoga repeated. "But don't you already have plans? I wouldn't want to...r-ruin..."

Ukyo laughed a quiet, self-deprecating laugh. "Sugar, I'm a single, working girl who uses most of my time on my restaurant and on school, which doesn't exactly leave much time for developing a rich social life. What else am I gonna do with my spare time? Knit _mittens_?"

Ryoga didn't quite manage to quell the surprised bark of laughter. "Heh, sorry," He whispered.

Ukyo grinned a little. "Glad to hear you're feeling better." She turned over on her stomach, making herself comfortable again. "While misery loves company, laughter is much more contagious..." She yawned into her pillow. "'Night, Ryoga."

"Good night, Ukyo."

For the second time in less than a week, he'd had someone to wish a good night to, and who'd wished him one back. For Hibiki Ryoga, that was without a doubt a record.

It was kinda nice for Kuonji Ukyo, too.

* * *

**Author's note:** Someone pointed out that it was weird to describe Ryoga as shorter than Ranma. I don't know about the anime, but if you check out the manga, especially the later books, like the koi rod story in issue 23 (Japanese version) and the Ryugenzawa story (24 and 25, Japanese), you can tell that Ryoga's the shorter of the two. It might not be_ that_ much of a height difference, but the fact is that he _is_ shorter. It wasn't really a major point to this story, though, so let's just forget about it.

**Corrections:** I put some more clothes on Ukyo since it's supposed to be February. I also got rid of the whole baseball bat thing because Ryoga would only need his own hands to take care of some common burglars. I'd been a bit sceptical about the whole thing, and then Ghost reminded me about it in a review, so I decided to change it. I also want to thank Ghost for pointing out how Ukyo would've been able to lift the tanuki by herself in chapter one, something which had also bothered me but I'd never gotten around to changing since I was worried it would ruin the plot, but luckily I found a way around it.

You'll have to excuse all the references to Japanese literature; it was just an idea that popped into my head sometime after I had an oral exam in contemporary Japanese literature.

Akutagawa Ryuunosuke has, in my opinion, a very depressing style of writing and I wanted to have Ukyo yell at Ryoga for reading his works. If you want some idea of what happens in his novels or short stories, there's little fate in love, people are often depressed, there are a lot of suicides, and in the short story I read for my exam, the main character wound up in a mental institution. I like to think of him as the Kafka of Japan, and I actually think they were authors at about the same time, in the beginning of the 20th century. So, yeah, this is the kinda thing I would imagine Ryoga reads to keep up the Shi Shi Hokodan, or just because it fits his state of mind. Who knows? Actually, I'm not exactly sure why I wrote this, I just thought of Ryoga when I read Akutagawa because it was so bleak and negative.

I wanted to put a real life spin on the Ranmaverse, like a lot of authors have done before me, and wanted to dig deeper in Ryoga's psyche (ooh, clichés aplenty!) and find out why he is so odd that he is, because if you think about it, these people's life's would be incredibly tragic in real life without the trademark Takahashi Rumiko humour to provide comic relief.

I especially admire Firewind's Heart of Glass, where Ryoga just completely breaks down and attempts suicide on several occasions, something that forces Ranma to 'grow up' and help him. While I think this may be a little extreme, it is well written, and it works in its own way, but my version of Ryoga, as he states in this chapter, promises Ukyo that he'd never end his own life. My Ryoga is very shy, has a somewhat low sense of self-worth and is very socially inapt, however, which Ukyo is trying to rectify. The question is whether she'll grow so frustrated in the end that she'll give up on the Lost Boy.

This isn't just about Ryoga, though, because Ukyo has definitely got some issues of her own.

Hmm, so what else...oh, right, Japanese words. Let's see...

**Futari: **Two people/persons. (One person, hitori, two persons, futari, three persons, sannin, etc...)

**Katsudon: **Usually pork or chicken cutlets placed in a big bowl of rice, with a little sauce poured over it, and maybe with some garnish like spring leeks or thinly shredded nori (seaweed) sprinkled on top.

**Shabu shabu: **Shabu shabu is a Japanese style meat fondue. Thinly sliced meat, vegetables, mushrooms and tofu is dipped into a hot soup and then into ponzu vinegar or a sesame sauce before being eaten. You kinda 'make' your own food in a hot pot at the table. As mentioned, I chose it because I figured it would remind Ryoga of a camping kitchen, thereby calming him down. Shabu shabu means "swish-swish," referring to the swishing action when you cook a very thin slice of beef in hot water.

**Genkan: **The hallway of a Japanese house, where you have to take off your shoes before entering the home.

**Senbei:** Japanese rice crackers. Crispy, tasty and often spicy, and certainly not the cardboard-like kind you buy in Western stores, which is why I didn't want to simply write 'rice crackers'.

**Yukata:** A light, cotton kimono; a layered robe. It has many uses: Bathrobe, summer daily wear, simple night attire, etc...

As for The Perfect Suicide Manual, you can probably guess as to what it's about? I haven't actually read it, I just read about it for a project I wrote concerning suicide in Japan, but it really is a manual on how to kill yourself, by hanging and other methods, and it really did make the best-selling list in Japan in the nineties. I guess I just figure that Ryoga is attracted to depressing literature. ;)

The storm was something I put in on a whim. It was only supposed to be raining, to make Ukyo suspicious of Ryoga's aqua-phobia, but it turned into a storm all by itself. The cozy little evening with Ryoga and Ukyo in the storm, and the fact that she's fond of horror novels and horror films, is a tribute to one of my favourite Ryoga/Ukyo stories, called** 'Stormy Birthday' by RuroiniGochan**, which can be found right here on this site. I highly recommend it. :)

Oh, and by the way— if you wonder why the characters are seventeen or eighteen instead of sixteen, it's because I wanted them to be somewhat more mature while still maintaining the 'confused teenager' angle, and because while this is based on a comic, and everyone's gonna be that age forever, I still feel that some time must have passed since Ranma and his father first came to stay at the Tendo house. Furthermore, I feel that some time needs to have passed in order for Ryoga to have started to think that his pursuit of Akane is futile. I'm not sure where on the timeline I'm placing this story, but definitely after the after the Fishing Rod of Love story, and after the Cursed Tunnel of Lost Love story as well.

I chose Cowboy Bebop as one of Ukyo's favourite shows because I imagine she's got a sense of humour and has more of a grown-up taste when it comes to animé. I also chose it because I had no idea about TV shows in Japan at the time when I wrote this chapter, and had only watched the things that are exported to the West, which is mostly animé.

I've watched Japanese TV now and I can safely say that a lot of the shows suck, so I stand by my decision. A very large amount of the shows are extremely lame game shows. Some of the drama series are supposedly good, but I never got into them, so...

I don't know about cable TV, though, as we only had very few channels where I lived.

* * *


	3. Hazukashii

**Omiyage: Hazukashii**  
Ninnik Nishukan

* * *

Ukyo stretched luxuriously in her big, soft bed with all the joy of knowing that she'd just slept in, and had done so with a clear conscience because it was Sunday and hence no customers to tend to. Once, she'd had a nightmare that there had been hordes of customers hanging on the front doors of Ucchan's, pushing their bodies and slamming their fists against the windows and doors, moaning and groaning "Okonomiyaki! Okonomiyaki!" in much the same way zombies in the movies would utter "Brains! Brains!"

What a relief it had been to wake up and find that it was Sunday, that most blissful of days. While she loved her job, not to mention okonomiyaki, even she could tire of it at times.

Rubbing her eyes and sitting up in bed, she raised her arms above her head, continuing to stretch. After she felt she'd worked out all the kinks in her neck and back, she swung her feet around and down to the floor. She took an unsteady step—

—and almost tripped over the man lying on her bedroom floor. The scream died in her throat as she recognized his face.

Ryoga. She had let him spend the night.

Weird, she thought, she'd never let anyone stay the night here before except Ran-chan once, and then they hadn't even slept, because Akane came over and the three of them had stayed up all night training to beat that moronic Gambling King. _Well, _she shrugged;_ it's probably about time, then._

Ukyo let a grin slip as she regarded his sleeping face. What was it about the slackness of sleep that could turn even grown men into the likeness of snuggly little babies? Probably even Hitler looked innocent while he slept.

Probably.

Though she had to admit, Ryoga looked particularly adorable in this state, his thick mass of black hair in a tangled chaos, his tiny fangs peeking out from his slack mouth, the usual angry frown around his eyes completely vanished. She muffled a giggle behind her hand when she noticed the small bit of drool in one corner of his mouth as he snored a little in peaceful slumber. He didn't sound like a buzz saw at all, like she'd teased him with.

She'd seen him nod off at the cinema, but while it had been dark then, and Ranma had commanded most of her attention, now there was bright sunshine highlighting every feature on Ryoga's face.

Ukyo glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand, and noticed with slight irritation that she hadn't really slept in that much. It was only nine forty-five. Oh well, no use crawling into bed again, might as well start breakfast. She turned back to Ryoga, crouching down to wake him up.

Halfway down into the crouch, she jumped back with shock until her calves hit the bed and she doubled over backwards, bending at the knees.

Ryoga had kicked off his sleeping bag in his sleep, while she'd been looking the other way, and now he was decked out before her in red cotton boxers and a sleeveless undershirt, both of which seemed suddenly much too small. Ryoga was..._bulging_ in places he shouldn't be bulging. Either he'd shoved a particularly well-cultivated cucumber down the front of his shorts, or he was having—

Ukyo blinked, pressing a hand to her thumping heart. It was like she could actually _feel_ the blush starting at her toes and moving ruthlessly upwards like an embarrassing tidal wave until it reached her scalp.

She'd heard of this phenomenon; it was called 'morning wood' or something, right? At her old school she'd heard boys mention it now and then, and as she'd understood it, apparently it was just something that happened all by itself once in a while, you didn't even have to have an erotic dream or anything. Technically she couldn't accuse him of being a pervert since he wasn't awake, and he didn't even look like he was having a naughty dream, so it might be a tad inconsiderate to wake him up by imbedding his skull into her spatula. Bottom line, it wasn't as if he could help it, so he'd done nothing wrong.

To be honest, she'd caught a few glimpses of such things before, but it was strange how some things, at fourteen, made you go_ 'ewww...!' _while at eighteen, they made you go_ 'hmm...'_, and start contemplating certain aspects of human nature.

She gaped once or twice or thrice like a goldfish before shutting her mouth with a permanent-sounding snap. She whimpered with confusion deep in her throat; it felt as though she'd never be able to speak again. She'd never really discussed sex, not really, not with...well, _anyone_. And certainly not with _Ryoga_. He was so shy and repressed that it hadn't even really crossed her mind to consider him as a sexual creature of any kind. Sure, she'd noticed that he'd changed with age, like all boys did nowadays, but she hadn't—

Ukyo shook her head, taking a deep breath. This was just too bizarre a concept to think about this early in the day. She got up, carefully keeping her distance to the futon, him and the slightly intimidating object attached to his pelvis. When she reached the door, she practically _ran_ out of the room and to the bathroom.

* * *

Ukyo waited half an hour before returning to her room, during which she took a shower, did her hair and put on her yukata. She brought his backpack from the kitchen so he'd find his things.

Now he was lying on his stomach, and Ukyo wondered idly if it didn't hurt, laying on...it. Frankly, she had no idea, and felt slightly naive for eighteen. She knew that some of the girls at Furinkan had already had sex, and that a lot of those who hadn't, had at least made out with a guy or even fooled around with them. Ukyo hadn't even been kissed.

She shook her head; she'd been gone for a while, so surely Ryoga's little problem must have— Ukyo wrinkled her brow; what happened, anyway? Did it just... go away after a while?

Ukyo bopped her forehead. _I should just forget it ever happened. _

She sat down on her knees beside the futon, setting his backpack aside. "Ryoga?" She asked softly, prodding his shoulder. All he uttered in response was an unintelligible grunt.

"Ryoga?" She tried again, patting his back with a flat palm. _He's so warm_, Ukyo thought wondrously. _And kinda sweaty,_ she added, wrinkling her nose, wiping her hand absently on her yukata. That was why he'd kicked off his sleeping bag, she figured. It might be great for outdoor camping, but it was probably uncomfortably hot indoors.

This time he raised his head a little. "Mmm?" He asked groggily.

"I'm gonna make some breakfast." Ukyo explained. "You hungry?"

"Huh?" He raised himself up on his elbows, turning his face to her and opening one bleary eye to see. "U-Ukyo?"

Ukyo cracked a smirk at that, nodding. "And we have a winner."

"Wh-what...?" Ryoga sat up, rubbing his eyes. A quick glance downstairs told Ukyo that the problem had indeed just gone away all by itself. She exhaled in relief. That might've have been doubly embarrassing, now that he was awake.

"Breakfast." Ukyo repeated, finally feeling like she was regaining her balance now that he was the puzzled one. "You want some?"

"Oh." Ryoga cleared his throat. "That sounds...if it's not too much of a bother..." Then he remembered what she'd told him yesterday about being too apologetic, and nodded decisively. "Yes, please."

She smiled, getting up. "You might wanna consider taking a shower, too." She said pointedly, grinning playfully.

Ryoga flushed, realizing he was smelling slightly...ripe. "I'll d-do that."

"Be right back, just gotta use the bathroom before you occupy it," Ukyo threw over her shoulder as she practically skipped out of the room.

Flopping onto his back again, Ryoga sighed, throwing one arm across his eyes. The sunlight coming in through the window was bright and made the room bright and Ukyo's voice had been bright— for some reason, waking up in a girl's bedroom was rather more overwhelming than going to sleep in it, he decided. It had to be because his brain was all foggy with sleep.

The sight of Ukyo's smiling face hanging above his and her pink lips offering him breakfast in a soft, cheerful voice had momentarily thrown a spanner in between two unfortunate mental gears. For a split second, he'd thought— well, for a split second he'd had absolutely _no_ grasp of the current situation.

Drawing a breath, he pushed himself up on his elbows and surveyed the room. It looked quite different in broad daylight. For one, details were easier to notice. He saw, sitting on a small table, a picture frame that currently housed a picture of Ukyo and a big, broad-shouldered man with a bristling beard— Ryoga could only assume this was her father— standing in front of an okonomiyaki yatai, both wearing okonomiyaki uniforms and happy smiles. Ukyo looked a few years younger, perhaps about fourteen.

Trying to ignore the memories of what he himself had been doing at fifteen, he let his gaze travel to her wardrobe, where he found what he recognized as the Furinkan high school uniform for girls hanging on the door. Blinking in surprise, he tried to remember when he'd ever seen her in it, but couldn't. Then again, how often was he around, anyway?

"Hey, you comin'?"

Ryoga looked up, startled out of his thoughts. Ukyo was back, leaning on the door frame and looking amused. "What's got you in such a good mood, Ukyo?" He asked curiously as he stood up.

"It's Sunday." She gave him a big smile that made him squirm a bit at its directness, and pulled him along with her down the hall.

* * *

After showing him to the bathroom, Ukyo went to the kitchen and started preparing breakfast. As she stirred the miso soup, it dawned on her that she teased him the most when she was nervous herself, and she wondered if he knew. It was such an easy defence mechanism to adopt; throw the other party off center and suddenly you yourself forgot about your own insecurities and bashfulness. It was like how one mysteriously got in such a good mood sometimes when the other person was sulking.

Usually she didn't consider it much, but to act that way towards Ryoga, who was already such a ball of nerves...well, it was kind of wrong to further add to that, wasn't it?

On the other hand, there was just something about Ryoga that made you want to constantly provoke him into a flustered, angry state to keep him from getting permanently lost in his own head. She should know, she'd had to coax him from going totally introvert on several occasions with a few swift spatula blows to the ol' melon, so she could understand on some level why Ranma constantly kept on teasing him and working him up the way he did.

Sometimes there was nothing else for it than the spatula.

There had to be a downside to that as well, though— besides the looming possibility of a concussion. Maybe a gentler approach would be in order. Then again, someone showing him kindness and interest, especially if it was a girl, tended to make Ryoga fall completely to pieces. It seemed like he had no response but a back-tracking stutter if someone treated him gently, as if it was alien territory to him, like he couldn't believe it was happening, like he didn't deserve it somehow.

And this wasn't just his standard response to Akane like she'd thought; it was to herself as well, after she'd started treating him more civilized.

The only thing she could think of that kept him grounded was if she bossed him around, and that also seemed wrong somehow. By experimenting during these last few encounters, though, she'd learned that if she only harboured a butt-load of patience and possibly finished his sentences for him sometimes, it all worked out okay eventually.

Ukyo sighed as she put the tea pot on the table and went upstairs to fetch Ryoga for breakfast. _Seriously, life should be less complicated..._

* * *

They should pass a law against this.

_Why is it okay for boys to walk around without a shirt on, but not for girls? _Ukyo wondered when Ryoga came out of the bathroom with a bared torso. It wasn't as if boys didn't have...have nipples, was it? Or...or _curves_?

She swallowed as she watched the muscles move beneath his skin as he walked, a sight which would've ensured that the memory of that little incident not one hour ago would've been permanently hammered into her brain if it hadn't already been. As he turned to close the bathroom door behind him, she got a view that made her flush; the graceful curve of his lower back and the strong lines of his shoulders and neck, and there, right between his shoulder blades, a small, triangular, soft spot that seemed to be simply _made_ for a woman to lean her face against.

She'd seen shirtless guys before, so she was positive that she wouldn't be reacting this way if what happened earlier this morning hadn't happened.

Ukyo cleared her throat and smoothed her hair down as Ryoga put on the T-shirt he'd been carrying. It was black, bore the legend "Snow Festival! Sapporo, Hokkaido!" in big, white letters and did a nice job of distracting her until she looked at his face, noticing that his hair was heavy with water and clung to his forehead. He looked really odd without his bandanna, like he was missing some piece of his personality somehow. He appeared slightly more adult, more severe too, without that splash of colour in the blackness of his hair, and it threw her even more off balance.

"What?" He asked, tilting his head at her as he patted his hair with a towel.

"Nothing." She shook her head. Without the bandanna, she'd paid more attention to his eyes, and had noticed the dark circles resting beneath them. "How did you sleep?" She asked carefully.

He shrugged. "I slept okay. Why?"

Ukyo shook her head in dismissal again. "Let's go eat."

* * *

"So, what do you think I should be reading, then?"

Breakfast was really good, but Ukyo had scarcely said a word while they ate, which was disturbing him. Wasn't _he_ supposed to be the quiet, broody one of the two? She'd worked her way through her miso soup, half her bowl of rice and most of the pickled vegetables, so at least she had an appetite, but he could tell there was something the matter. Embarking on a desperate hunt through his brain for any suitable topics that might distract her, he suddenly remembered what they'd talked about the day before.

"Hmm?" Ukyo looked up abruptly, jerked out of her daydream.

"You know..." He gestured vaguely. "If I shouldn't be reading Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, what _should_ I be reading?"

"Uhh..." Ukyo drew a breath, looking up into the ceiling as if waiting for divine intervention.

"The happy, fluffy adventures of Neko-chan and little Bun-Bun or something?" He asked ironically.

This jolted a laugh out of her— Ryoga's evasive sense of humour had a habit of surfacing like a quick, tiny fish, always unexpected, appearing in a flash of glittery scales, gone in the blink of an eye, unpredictable. "You're all for extremes, aren't you? There's just no middle ground— it's always gotta be one thing or the other. Delirious happiness or bottomless depression."

Down went the seesaw and he bit his lip, looking abashed. "Wh-what would you recommend?" He went on, trying to change the subject.

Ukyo smiled, letting him off the hook. "Well, there's Tsugumi."

"Tsugumi? That's the author?" He sat up straighter. "Never heard of her."

She shook her head. "Tsugumi is a book by Yoshimoto Banana."

Ryoga sent her a sceptical look. "Banana? Great...just what Nerima needs. More people with funny names." The fish's tail broke the water in a snap, cracking like a whip before descending hastily back into murky waters.

"Banana's just her pseudonym." Ukyo giggled. "I think you'll like it. Here," she went over to a small book case hanging on the kitchen wall. "I just finished it last week. You can borrow it if you like."

Ryoga looked at the offered book. "I dunno...it looks kinda girly, doesn't it?"

Ukyo rolled her eyes. "Great, another male-chauvinist pig."

Ryoga stood up, shaking his fist; it was more of an automatic response than anything else. "Who're you calling a pig!"

Unfazed, Ukyo simultaneously pushed the book into his hands and him down into his chair again in one fluid movement. "Just read it." She persisted.

He turned the book around in his hands, read the jacket cover and looked up at her. "Thanks. Are you sure it's okay if I— "

"Think of it as a favour from you to me." Ukyo smiled calmly, starting in on her rice and vegetables again. "I'll rest easier knowing I've turned you off depressing literature for good."

He took a sip of his tea before smiling tryingly. "I can't promise anything."

It was disturbing sometimes how little it took to make you honestly change your view of a person. The tanuki incident had been the catalyst which got her taking him more seriously and made her see him as a friend rather than just a scheming partner, that made her start contemplating his strange mood swings and behaviour...all in all, it had made her care. And as for the incident this morning, well...that had forced her to consider him as a young man, so to speak.

She cleared her throat in the face of his shy smile. "Uh, so...you finally made it to Hokkaido, huh?"

* * *

The storm had transformed the garden into a muddy mess, and Ryoga sat and watched as Ukyo salvaged the overturned flowerpots and raked the scattered leaves and weeds out of the way and into neat little piles. She had put on a faded but flattering, red baby doll T-shirt, modest denim cut-offs and big, red rubber boots and rubber gloves and had divided her hair into two separate braids, putting a small, blue bandanna over her hair to shield it from the mud. Ryoga had never seen anyone look this good in washed-out, old work clothes before.

After a moment or two of witnessing her struggles in the mud, without her asking him once for his assistance, he figured he should offer to help her. That is, he figured as much until she got out the garden hose and started hosing down the muddy plastic lawn chairs in her tiny garden.

Standing close to where ice cold water was being sprayed heedlessly about in a small space wasn't exactly his idea of a good time. He started inching slowly backwards from his spot on the engawa, planning to make a bee-line for the kitchen, or the bathroom, or the attic; wherever he'd end up, he didn't care.

"Ryoga!" Ukyo called in a casual tone. The aforementioned boy screeched to a halt.

He turned around slowly; this could only end in misery. "Uh-huh?"

"Would you mind holding this chair up from the mud so I can clean it properly?" She asked, indicating a muddy lawn chair which might've been white once upon a time.

Ryoga winced; there was no way he could refuse her after all she'd done for him lately. "S-sure," He stuttered, walking over to her with stiff movements, picking up the chair mechanically.

As Ukyo directed the hose towards Ryoga and the chair, she noticed him holding it out from his body at arm's length, just like he'd done when he shook off the umbrella the night before, as if he was dead set against getting even a single drop of water on himself. The more suspicious thing, though, was the mysterious sheen of sweat appearing on his face, and the pale shade his skin took on all of a sudden. She could tell by the trembling shoulders and the too quiet and irregular breathing that he was working hard at suppressing something akin to hyperventilation as he stared fixedly at the stream of water shooting towards the chair.

As a drop of water hit the back of his hand, she could all but see the hairs on his head rising. The chair started shaking a little in his hands as he fought for self-control.

"Thanks, I'm done." Ukyo said finally, plucking the chair from him and setting it aside to dry. Ryoga let out an explosive breath, as if he'd been holding it all this time, and padded over to the engawa, plopping down on his butt, his whole body as limp as an over-cooked noodle.

Ukyo figured that this was much too emotional a response to cleaning garden chairs. She turned to him, one eyebrow cocked inquisitively, one hand on her hip and the turned-off hose in the other.

"Ryoga?"

He glanced pitifully up at her from underneath his heavy bangs, his head ducked and his shoulders raised, his eyes brimming with fear. "Y-yes?"

Ukyo sighed, disarmed by his frightened, shameful expression. "You've got a Jusenkyo curse."

Ryoga gaped; he'd been prepared for the worst, but it was still worse than he'd imagined. He swallowed laboriously. "I-I...I d-didn't...I-I..." His stutter went into overdrive, and she took pity on him. "Don't you, Sugar?" She prompted softly, tilting her head. "What is it? What's your curse?"

It was worse because she wasn't even angry, she was just looking at him with those soulful, friendly eyes like some compassionate saint, making him feel like something icky that she'd stepped in on the street and wiped off on her welcome mat. That wasn't her intention, of course, but it was still how he felt. He was such a creep for keeping this great, big secret from her when she was so, so— if he'd only made it a rule to tell people about his little problem first off, things would be so much _easier_—

"W-w-well, y-you s-see, uhh...i-it's c-complicated..." He kept his eyes glued to his fidgeting hands.

Realization hit her like a shovel to the face. It couldn't be just any old Jusenkyo curse if he was _this_ riled up; it had to be something really mortifying, something unfortunate and difficult if he was _this_ touchy about it. It had to be something she knew about, but at the same time_ didn't_ know about—

He'd said it was 'complicated'...

"P-chan...!" She breathed, dropping the hose in the muddy grass.

Ryoga choked on an in-breath, clutching his chest. To Ukyo, it looked almost as though he'd been stabbed through the heart. "It _is_ you...isn't it?" She pressed, taking a step towards him. Ryoga stared at her staring at him; he could tell that she knew, she really _knew_, she wasn't just guessing, it wasn't just a shot in the dark. There would be no point in taking the coward's way out, because it was already too late, and he was getting so sick and tired of it, of telling no one and hiding from everybody, deceiving them all.

Before he lost his only friend in the world, he at least owed her an explanation, and an apology.

He swallowed, squaring his shoulders. "Y-yes." He whispered, treacherous tears starting to pool in his eyes. "It's me."

"I...I should've known." Ukyo shook her head in disbelief. "I mean, I had some idea, b-but I never..."

"I'm so sorry." Ryoga told her quietly, oblivious to the tears overflowing from his eyes, leaving tracks down his cheeks.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ukyo demanded, upset. "You coulda told me— you _shoulda_ told me!"

Ryoga shifted in his seat. "I know, I'm sorry, but...but wh-what was I supposed to say?" He seemed to have noticed the tears finally, and hastily wiped at them with the back of his arm.

Ukyo tightened her fists with frustration. "You coulda just started off with 'I got cursed at Jusenkyo', you moron, and we'd have taken it from there!"

Ryoga flinched. "B-but you and me, we weren't really...I mean, before, we weren't...friends..." He clenched his jaw, fighting back the queuing tears. "I th-thought you'd m-make fun of me, and...and it isn't s-something I really w-want people to know..." He trailed off.

"I wouldn't have..." Ukyo said weakly, surprised.

"It's my worst secret." Ryoga said darkly, his voice growing steady with anger and bitter determination. "I just wanted to...I didn't want to tell anyone, so I could just get rid of the curse before anyone really knew, and it'd be like it never happened."

Ukyo stared at him. "So no one else knows?" She frowned; no, that didn't sound right. "Ranma knows, doesn't he?" She asked bluntly.

Ryoga nodded, growling in the back of his throat. "And he's made my life a living hell ever since!"

Ukyo had had enough. "Listen to you, you sneaky weasel! Sitting here feeling sorry for yourself!" She bopped him over the back of his head, a little more forcefully than usual. "You should be ashamed of yourself! Akane's the real victim here!"

Ryoga looked at her with trepidation, speechless. "Letting her think you're just an innocent, little pet, letting her cuddle you, completely unaware!" She went on, shaking his arm for emphasis.

"I _know_!" He wailed. "I _am_ ashamed! Why'd you think I didn't tell you?"

"Ooh, you're such a jackass!" Ukyo yelled, slugging him on the arm. "How could you do that?"

He hung his head in surrender. "You can keep hitting me as long as you like."

Ukyo's fist halted above his head, her mouth hanging open as if she was just about to yell some more. She snapped it shut and dropped her arm to her side. She watched him sit there with the cloud of gloom above his head for a while before she broke into a fit of giggles.

"Huh?" Ryoga looked up, bewildered.

"Men!" Ukyo laughed. "Honestly, that's your solution to everything, isn't it? You think it'll all be okay if you just let us blow off some steam."

He scratched the back of his head, laughing lamely, uncertainly. It might look like the worst had passed, but it was probably just the quiet before the storm. "Uh...doesn't it usually work?"

"Jackass," She smiled wryly, looking at his big, brown, fearful puppy-dog eyes and the guilty slump of his shoulders. "It's the maternal instinct that saves you men each and every time. We can't stay mad at you." She lifted her eyes and palms to the heavens in a classic pose of capitulation. "It'll be the downfall of women."

Ryoga straightened his back, looked at her seriously. "Don't you...don't you think this makes me a horrible person? Don't you think I deserve to be punished?"

Ukyo shrugged. "Perhaps, but it wouldn't solve anything, would it?"

Ryoga narrowed his eyes at her warily. "Since when are you all pacifistic?"

Scowling at him threateningly, Ukyo cracked her knuckles. "If you'd like it the other way, that's fine by me, P-chan."

He gulped and shook his head, waving a hand apologetically. "No, it's just...like you said, Akane thinks it's just her pet piggy P-chan who's in her room at night...just her pet pig that she hugs..." Ryoga sighed wretchedly. "I know Ranma thinks it's all sleazy. Don't you think so?"

Ukyo looked thoughtful. "Well... when I think about it, I kind of find it hard to imagine you taking advantage of the situation."

"R-really?" Ryoga felt moved by this show of compassion.

"Yeah, I mean, you get a violent nosebleed just _thinking _about a naked girl, so it would kinda make it hard to— "

"Hey!" Ryoga exclaimed, insulted.

Ukyo laughed. "It's true though, isn't it? And I believe...that despite your faults, you're basically a nice guy, so I don't really think you'd do anything to her. Besides, you're just too darn shy to peek, aren't you, P-chan?" She pinched his cheek, chuckling.

Ryoga rubbed his cheek, grumbling. "Don't tell me you're gonna start calling me that, too?"

Ukyo grinned mischievously. "That depends. Are you gonna do the dishes?"

Letting out a perplexed breath of laughter, he shook his head in amusement. "It's a deal." He leaned his head in his hands, deflating. "Gods, I can't believe I've finally told someone." He chuckled tiredly at himself, shivering a little. "Jeez, look at me... I'm exhausted, feels like I've just run a mile..."

She elbowed him playfully in the ribs. "Yeah, keeping secrets will do that to you."

"Sorry." Ryoga said it again, heartfelt; at this point, it felt like he couldn't say it enough times.

In the silence that followed, Ukyo grew pensive. "Ryoga...have you never considered that while you do still have your own mind when you're in your cursed form, you also have all the disadvantages of a normal piglet?"

His face darkened. "Have I ever!"

Ukyo shook her head, putting her hands on her hips. "The way you're talking, Sugar, it sure doesn't seem like it." She pursed her lips in determination. "Think about it, Ryoga...when you're just a small piglet, should you really be feeling ashamed of seeking shelter? And I bet that most of those times, it's Akane who's picked you up and taken you to her room, right?"

"Yeah...?" Ryoga said hesitantly, unsure of where she was going with all this. "But still...I should have run away or something, shouldn't I? I tried to do it several times, I really did, but— "

"Well," Ukyo said firmly, "you can't go wandering the streets, getting lost as a little piggy, now can you? Besides, Akane likes having a pet piglet around, doesn't she?"

Ryoga shifted uncomfortably. "I guess so, but if she knew who P-chan really was..."

Ukyo sighed. "You should tell her about it, that's true...but as for you staying in her room, don't beat yourself up too much about it, Ryoga. To be honest, I think I would have done the same if I were you. I would definitely be hiding in someone's room if I knew I might end up being the next lunch special in a restaurant somewhere."

Ryoga shuddered; he remembered it all too well...being thrown into a pot of scalding hot water, knowing that some Chinese guy wanted to cook him and eat him. The man should have known better; after all he was a guide of the cursed springs, he should have made it a habit to check if it was truly an ordinary animal instead of some ill-fortuned customer. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the memory. "I still feel bad about sleeping in her room..."

Ukyo patted him on the arm. "Honey, I'm not naive. I know you've had other motives than seeking shelter each time you've stayed in Akane's room."

Ryoga stared at her, incredulous. "But— but— you said that I wouldn't— that I'd never— "

She flapped a hand dismissively. "Relax, Hibiki. What I mean is that...well, you're in love with Akane, right?"

Ryoga drew in a breath and held it, frowning, his chest aching, his eyes shining with inner turmoil. Ukyo fell as silent as he, shocked speechless by the implication in his eyes, the evasive gaze and the Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. She had meant it simply as a rhetorical question, but apparently it needed an answer. He let his breath out quietly, his eyes darting up to meet hers for a brief moment. He had let go of a love that was so completely futile and unrequited; did that make him weaker or stronger than her?

Ukyo stared at him, amazed. So Ryoga hadn't just given up on their wacky schemes, he'd finally given up on Akane as well? Why did that fact suddenly make her feel foolish, make her feel left behind all over again? "All right, so you— well, the _point_ is that you were in love with her when you stayed in her room, right?" Ukyo said, flustered.

He just nodded, trying to make it easier on her.

Ukyo collected her wits and went on. "In Nerima it's almost impossible to have an uninterrupted moment alone with your heart's desire. Some rival always wants to fight, some fiancée wants to claim you, some family member shows up, or there's Nabiki taking pictures or the water ladle lady splashing around. A moment's peace with your loved one would be a small slice of Heaven." She wasn't looking at him anymore, but into the middle distance. "I...I would jump at a chance like the ones you've had, even as a pig." Ukyo said quietly. "It's stupid, I know..."

"Ukyo..." Ryoga's brow knitted in concern as he reached out slowly for her arm, letting his hand drop before he touched her, deciding against it; how would he be able to comfort her, anyway? What was he supposed to say?

Ukyo went on regardless. "Remember the Cursed Tunnel of Lost Love?" She chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Imagine, I wanted Ran-chan so bad that I didn't care much if I got him by letting a bunch of ghosts literally drag him and Akane apart from each other." She toyed absently with one of her braids, looking troubled. "If you think about it, the business with P-chan is just peanuts compared to that. At least you didn't put her in any danger."

Ryoga frowned. "It wasn't just you in that haunted cave— I went along with that plan."

Ukyo got up, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her face. "Maybe, but it was my idea, and it was me who talked you into it."

Ryoga opened his mouth to voice a protest, but Ukyo beat him to it. "I gotta clean my boots." She said firmly, picking up the nozzle of the garden hose and turning it on.

He had no idea how to respond— yes, it had been a stupidly dangerous idea, but he hadn't needed much convincing to do it, and he hadn't attempted to talk her out of it, so a lot of it could be blamed on him; it wasn't just her fault. Had they both really been that desperate back then? Was she really _still_ that desperate?

"Ryoga..." She spoke up after a moment or two, though her voice was still without its usual zest. "The next time you're stuck as P-chan... you know where you can turn for some hot water."

He was just about to thank her when the door bell rang.

"Hmm?" Ukyo spun in the direction of the sound, hose in hand. "Ryoga, did you hear— Ryoga?" She looked around wildly, completely baffled. Was this one of those things that Ranma always did where you vanished in the blink of an eye? "Ryoga, where are you? Ryoga— "

She looked down where he had been sitting and saw a pile of clothes, his clothes, something small and alive wriggling beneath the words 'Sapporo, Hokkaido' on Ryoga's T-shirt. The T-shirt was wet.

Unfortunately, when she'd turned with the hose the spray of water had hit Ryoga directly in the face.

"Oh." Ukyo sighed in resignation. "Right."

When she reached the engawa, she slipped off her rubber boots and rubber gloves and picked Ryoga up. She hadn't even been aware that pigs _could_ look ashamed, but she was definitely aware of how Ryoga looked when he was, and this was it. "I'm really sorry, sweetie, it was an accident." She tried to smile. "Come on, let's see who's at the door, and afterwards we can find you some hot water." She dropped the pile of his damp clothes on a table in the restaurant and carried the piglet snugly in the crook of her arm as she walked to the door.

* * *

Ryoga's eyes grew wide as they saw who was standing outside.

"Ran-chan!" Ukyo exclaimed in pleased astonishment.

"Hey, Ucchan!" Ranma smiled.

"Hi, Ukyo." Akane smiled too, albeit a little more reserved.

"Uh, hi..." Ukyo shifted a little. "This is certainly unexpected. What's up, Ran-chan?"

Ranma continued smiling, oblivious to Ukyo's nervous expression. "Well, I thought we'd have that lunch we talked about yesterday." Ranma had been thinking of what Ryoga had asked him; why didn't he bring Akane along when he met Ucchan? As he contemplated it, he figured it would be taking a major risk, but if he was lucky, it might just work. Bringing Akane along might make Ucchan see that they weren't on a date, that she was his friend, while Akane was— well, he wasn't quite sure what Akane was, not yet, but he was pretty sure she was more than just a friend.

And then...then, if he was super-mega-happy lucky, which he never was, then Akane and Ucchan might become friends too, or at least make peace with each other. Sure, it was probably doomed, like all of his other plans, but at least it was fairly straight-forward and didn't involve any lies or disguises or weird old curses, so it _might_..._just_..._work_. Of course, there would still be the matter of Ryoga, Shampoo, Mousse, The Kunos, the ancient pervert and the old monkey mummy, but still...life would be so much better if he was able to elevate Ucchan's status from just another spurned fiancée and back up to his best childhood friend.

"Actually— "

"P-chan?" Akane had stepped forward, blinking at Ryoga, puzzled.

Ukyo looked stunned. "Uh..." Her eyes darted to Ranma's, searching for assistance, and he raised an eyebrow as he realized that Ryoga's secret had been revealed to someone other than himself. Hopefully, this might make things easier on both himself as well as the Lost Boy.

"What is he doing here?" Akane asked curiously.

Ukyo glanced down at the little piglet shivering with fear in her arms, and noticed that he still wasn't wearing his bandanna. It was a long shot, but it was worth a try. "Um, no, this isn't P-chan, this is..." She searched her brain frantically for a name, and remembered something she'd read. "...this is Gyoichi. He's mine, I just bought him yesterday." She smiled wryly, lying through her teeth. "I always thought P-chan was so cute, and besides... it's kinda cosy, having a pet around." She grinned widely then, starting to enjoy herself despite the awkward situation. "Isn't he a sweetheart?"

Ranma tilted his head, looking mystified. Was Ukyo just covering, or had he been wrong? This _wasn't _Ryoga? He reached towards the little piglet and barely managed to draw his hand back before it nearly gnawed his finger off. _Like hell it's not Ryoga! _"Why Gyoichi?" He asked, growing amused.

Akane brightened. "Isn't that Tsugumi's boyfriend?"

Ranma glanced at her with incomprehension. "Who?"

A bright smile blossomed on Ukyo's face, matching Akane's expression. "You read Yoshimoto Banana?"

Ranma rolled his eyes; the girls had both taken on the manic delight that he saw on the faces of some of the more serious cases of otaku at school, whenever they'd just met a fellow manga-obsessed person. Then again, as silly as though they were both behaving, it made hope bloom in his chest. Out of all the girls he knew and who chased after him, he always thought Ukyo was the most likely to be able to be friends with Akane, and here was the proof.

Akane smiled sheepishly. "I'm a member of the Banana Mania fan club." She sent a quick glare in Ranma's direction, just in case he was about to make a stupid remark, then turned her attention back to Ukyo. "I've read all her books."

Ukyo laughed a little. "I can't say I'm that serious yet, I've only read Tsugumi and Kitchen."

Even though this was a good thing, Ukyo and Akane finding they had things in common, Ranma wasn't about to listen to an elaborate discussion on the merits of girly literature. "Hey, Ucchan, how 'bout that lunch, you wanna go somewhere?"

Ukyo drew a breath; she couldn't quite believe she was about to turn down an invitation from Ranma, but she simply didn't have room for any more food in her stomach, and it wouldn't be right to leave Ryoga when he was like this. "Actually, we just ate, we had a late breakfast." She smiled apologetically. "It's kind of my little Sunday luxury."

Ranma frowned in confusion. "We?"

Ukyo's eyes widened— she hadn't thought of that. She glanced down at Ryoga, resting in her arms, trembling and wide-eyed, and smiled slightly at the tiny black fuzz ball that he was right now. She wasn't about to tell them she ate breakfast with a pig, though, because she did have her pride. Furthermore, she was tired of coming over as the lonely workaholic all the time, so it was with determination that she said: "Ryoga was here earlier." She grinned a little, as if at a private joke. "You just missed him."

Akane blinked. "Ryoga?"

"Oh, I have a feeling he's still around..." Ranma muttered to himself.

"What was that, Ranma?" Akane asked sharply. She wasn't sure about exactly what he'd said, but he was always making snide remarks about Ryoga, and at times it could be quite irritating.

Ranma gulped. "Nothing."

Akane turned to Ukyo, all sunny smiles again; it was weird how Ranma always got her so riled up, always got on her bad side. It was always so easy to be nice to other people, but to him it was damn near impossible. "Can I pet Gyoichi?"

Ukyo froze. "Uh...sure..." She nodded slowly, handing her Ryoga, who was now wearing a panicked expression, his body as taut as a bowstring.

Akane frowned as she took the piglet from her. "Wow, he's so tense. Maybe it'll help if I rub his tummy," She suggested, petting the fuzzy, black stomach. Ranma and Ukyo looked at each other, each wearing matching queasy expressions. Ukyo was convinced that her face was turning green. Finally Ryoga seem to snap out of his catatonic state and started wriggling frantically in Akane's hands, letting out an agonized squeal when she wouldn't let go. He'd probably been more humiliated than this before, but he really couldn't think of another example for comparison right then.

Shocked by the piglet's odd behaviour, Akane drew her hands back, and Ryoga leapt up and away, landing on Ukyo's hip and scrambling his way up her flank, under her arm and across her back until he reached her shoulder, where he latched his tiny hooves onto her neck and shoulder, shivering and wheezing.

Regarding Akane's shocked and somewhat hurt expression, Ukyo laughed nervously. "Uh...he doesn't take well to strangers...?"

"Yeah," Ranma piped up, coming to her aid. "Just be glad he didn't try to bite you, like he did to me."

Akane glanced at them uncertainly; they were obviously just trying to make her feel better, and weren't doing such a good job of it, either. Usually she had quite a way with animals, and it hurt her to see such a cute little piggy almost tripping over itself in its race to get away from her. "If you say so..." She mumbled evasively.

"He'll get used to you, Sugar." Ukyo smiled comfortingly. "I just don't think he's very keen on getting his stomach rubbed." She added, wrinkling her nose. Today she'd certainly learned why Ranma was always looking so sick every time Akane was cuddling P-chan.

"So...Ryoga was here, huh?" Ranma asked, just a tad too casually.

Ukyo nodded, wondering what he was getting at. "Yeah, he just wandered by as usual, so I thought I'd invite him in for breakfast." She shrugged. Wow, lying sure was easy, yessiree...

Ranma and Akane exchanged conspiratorial glances, and Ukyo wondered what was going on. What was this elusive little secret they seemed to be able to share with only a glance and a nod? "Where'd he go?" Akane asked, and for a second, Ukyo wanted to laugh loudly. _He hasn't gone anywhere, honey! _

Ukyo shrugged, absently reaching up to pat Ryoga's trembling back where he clung to her neck. "With Ryoga, who knows?"

"You've got a point." Nodding, Akane sighed, part in exasperation, part in worry. For a moment there, she'd hoped that Ryoga and Ukyo might— but then, in her experience, hope never lasted long. It got her down every time she thought about Ryoga, wandering alone somewhere where no one could reach him, always by himself; she worried so much for her friend, and was happy each time he made it back here, where he knew people. At times she could tell that Ranma was concerned about him too, though of course he always voiced it in some utterly tactless way where only those who really knew him could understand what he was trying to get across. Honestly, his father had really ruined any potential Ranma had ever had to be able to express his thoughts and emotions properly. Maybe if they could finally set things straight with his mother...

When she thought about it, it seemed that Ranma and Ryoga had the totally opposite problem. Ranma was good with crowds, always relaxed and having fun and chattering away, while Ryoga seemed to clam up completely, never knowing how to handle small talk. On the other hand, Ranma fell to pieces when it came to expressing his more private feelings; he was out of his depth and beyond every time someone attempted to really get to know the Ranma behind the bravado and the stupid jokes, and he was equally disoriented if someone tried to talk seriously to him about their own feelings.

Ryoga, however, wore his heart on his sleeve and had a tendency to shout out his innermost thoughts to innocent passers-by, and to be honest, Akane didn't think she'd ever seen a guy cry as much as him, except of course for her own father. Like her father, Ryoga seemed to be completely controlled by his emotions.

It was ironic, but Ranma, who couldn't express himself, often took advantage of Ryoga's tendency to express himself way too much; the way he kept toying with Ryoga's emotions, especially his desperate wish for a girlfriend, had practically made smoke curl out her ears in anger on many occasions. How could he do that to someone who was this depressed, this consumed by solitude? In short, why did he keep picking on Ryoga?

She knew Ranma, however, and even though he could be tactless and rude, he wasn't actually mean. He always regretted the things he did, even to Ryoga, and he'd tried patching things up with the Lost Boy many times, so there had to be something else that made Ranma act this way around Ryoga.

It would be so much easier if she could just ask Ranma about it, but she knew she wouldn't get an easy answer, if any answer at all.

"He's probably halfway to China already," Ranma remarked carelessly, stretching his arms behind his head.

"Yeah, probably." Ukyo grinned softly, petting the back of the piglet's head. Ryoga seemed to be relaxing now as he realized they were practically out of the woods. "But I have a feeling he'll be back a little sooner this time."

Akane studied Ukyo's face; she wore such an odd expression when she talked about Ryoga, kind of gentle and amused, like she had a secret. She glanced at Ranma to see his reaction, but he was now only looking a little bored. Saotome Ranma always got easily bored when he was hungry.

Maybe...maybe there was something going on with Ryoga and Ukyo after all. For Akane, it wasn't just a case of wanting to get rid of one of Ranma's fiancées, it was about ending Ryoga's misery, about getting a nice girl for her friend, and the truth was that beside the fact that she was basically her rival, Akane thought that Ukyo was one of the nicest girls she knew.

Besides, Ukyo was friendly, down-to-earth, compassionate and self-sufficient, just the kind of qualities a girl would have to have if she were to be Ryoga's girlfriend. Besides, she had a backbone on her, and would be just the thing for Ryoga, who tended to hesitate and flounder a lot, while Ukyo always was a down-to-business kind of girl.

Akane had seen it in the Cursed Tunnel of Lost Love, how Ukyo had— and sometimes quite literally— knocked some sense into Ryoga each time he lost his head. It was strange, but around Ukyo, Ryoga tended to wear an expression of focused determination rather than the usual one of lost bashfulness.

"So, Ucchan, you sure you don't wanna come grab some lunch?" Ranma persisted hopefully.

Ukyo shook her head. "Couldn't eat another bite right now, Ran-chan." _Besides, I've got a piglet to transform... _Glancing down at herself, she felt really self-conscious for the first time during their conversation. "Anyway, as you might've guessed, I was busy doing some yard work." She told them, looking in dismay at the specks of mud on her calves and knees. _I'm standing here talking to Ran-chan in muddy old work clothes, with a pig on my shoulder, and still I wonder why we aren't married yet?_ Ukyo thought to herself, stifling a laugh.

Ranma looked disappointed. "Okay, if you're sure..."

Ukyo nodded apologetically. "We'll have to catch up some other time, all right?" She smiled encouragingly. "How about you come by here around three o'clock tomorrow? It's usually pretty slow in the restaurant by then."

"We'll do that," Ranma agreed, indicating both himself and Akane, Ukyo realized, as she felt a brief stab of jealousy and sadness.

"See you tomorrow, then." She said, without much enthusiasm.

* * *

_Alone again, _Ukyo thought, as she walked with heavy steps back into her restaurant, having nothing to look forward to but a muddy backyard. It was her own fault, perhaps, since she'd politely rejected the lunch offer, but she just couldn't stand being asked out by Ran-chan simply as a friend, like she was..._harmless_. Like she wouldn't try anything, like she was a _buddy_. And yet she had the feeling that the reason he always brought a third party along lately was precisely _because_ he thought she'd try something; maybe kiss him, maybe convince him to take her somewhere romantic— she didn't quite know _what_ he might be fearing from her. Probably he feared Akane's wrath more than anything else, though, she figured.

She wasn't quite up to spending the afternoon with Ranma and Akane as the third wheel. Ranma probably meant well, but sometimes that boy had absolutely no common sense.

It would be so much easier if she hated Akane, but she didn't. How could she? The other girl had never really fought her or anything, she had always at least attempted to be civil and once in a while...once in a while, Ukyo realized they even had some things in common.

Unfortunately, one of the things they had in common was Ranma, and Akane was always the one who ended up going home with him, because they both lived in the same house. It felt so ironic— the one fiancée who _didn't_ seem to want him was the one who got to live with him.

Of course, Ukyo knew in her heart of hearts that Akane did love Ranma whether she liked it or not, but as long as no one was certain as to whom Ranma loved, it didn't really matter...did it?

"Bwee!"

The impatient squeal in her ear made her jump. Would you look at that— she_ wasn't_ alone. "Sorry, honey," she excused herself, patting the piglet's flank. "Almost forgot about you."

Ryoga tilted his head at her crestfallen expression, his brow knitting. Letting out a worried little whimper, he rubbed his fuzzy head against her neck, acting almost on instinct. It was scary sometimes how he reacted more or less automatically in some situations when he was a pig. From somewhere in his porcine body, an impulse had shot straight to his brain, telling him that physical contact brought comfort, and here he was, pressing himself comfortingly against her like a piglet against its siblings and its mother in the cold.

At times he wondered if Ranma's body affected him as well when he got turned into a girl, and he always came to the conclusion that it probably did. Ranma definitely had a tendency to act seriously freaky sometimes in his girl form.

Ukyo looked at him, surprised, and smiled sadly. "I'm okay, Ryoga."

Ryoga squealed softly in protest and rubbed a tear away from her cheek with his forehead. Judging by her expression, she hadn't even been aware that she'd been on the verge of crying. "Let's get you some hot water, huh?" Ukyo said, smiling genuinely this time.

* * *

When they'd only walked a few yards down the street, Ranma halted.

"Ranma?" Akane stopped too, looking at him curiously. "What's wrong?"

Ranma looked her in the eyes. "I gotta go talk to Ucchan."

Akane swallowed, her heart sinking. "A-about what?"

He shifted a little, uncertain how to put it into words without mentioning P-chan. "To tell you the truth, it's about Ryoga."

She raised an eyebrow; had he been thinking the same thing as her? "Really?"

"Yeah, but, uh..." He hesitated, biting his lip before he took a determined step forward, grabbing her hand and squeezing it reassuringly. "Let's meet at that place where they have the good yakitori, you know the one?"

Flocks of butterflies fluttering wildly in her stomach, she nodded. "I...I know it."

"Half an hour?" He asked shortly, nodding.

"See you there." She agreed, not missing a beat.

Letting go of her hand, he jogged back to Ucchan's, feeling both excited and kinda nervous. He had no idea what he'd just thrown himself into, but he knew he had to do it.

* * *

In her small kitchen, Ukyo sat with Ryoga in her lap as they waited for the water to boil. It was odd, but while she'd gotten nauseous at the sight of Ryoga getting his stomach rubbed by Akane, she now found herself stroking his back soothingly while they waited, something she doubted she'd have done if he was in his human form. Perhaps she'd gotten queasy because he'd been lying on his back like that, small and helpless, and after all, rubbing someone's stomach was much more intimate than patting someone's back.

She couldn't help herself; she didn't feel pity for him while he was human although she did feel concern, but while he was like this, so tiny and trembling, it was hard not to feel sorry for him and want to touch him in a calming manner. Even so, they'd both probably be embarrassed about it later.

Ryoga had started to settle down in her lap, quieted by her soft hands, but he was still shivering a little, his tiny piggy heart beating just a little too fast. Why did these things always have to happen to him?

"I'm really sorry I got you wet, Ryoga." Ukyo told him again, as if she'd just read his thoughts. She sighed. "Why does life have to be this complicated, huh?"

"You're asking the wrong couple of guys, Ucchan."

Ukyo looked up, startled. "Ran-chan!" In her distressed state, she must have forgotten to lock the front door.

Ranma glanced at Ryoga, then at the water coming to a boil on the stove. "So...you know, right?"

Ukyo got up, setting the kettle aside. "If you mean about Ryoga's curse...yes, I do." She said, glancing at him over her shoulder as she busied herself with putting Ryoga on the floor so she could pour the water over him. Ryoga glared daggers at Ranma; he hated being on the floor in his cursed form, especially when Ranma was around. It made him afraid that someone, say, Ranma, was going to step on him at any moment.

"How'd you find out?" Ranma tilted his head at her.

Ukyo shrugged. "I asked and he told me."

Ranma gaped. "You're kiddin'?"

Ryoga stuck his snout up triumphantly. _Ha! Take that, Saotome!_

Looking at Ranma oddly, Ukyo poised the kettle above Ryoga. "No, Ran-chan, it was as simple as that."

"Uh..." Ranma lifted a warning finger, nodding towards Ryoga. "I _really_ wouldn't do that if I were you."

Ukyo was puzzled. "Huh? Why not?"

"Well, he'd be buck naked, for one..." He said in a flat voice.

Flushing bright red, Ukyo put the kettle aside. She'd already seen enough of a certain body part today without having to have to see it uncovered as well. "I'll be right back."

"You are one lucky pig, Hibiki..." Ranma sat down on a chair, shaking his head at the piglet. "What'd you do if I weren't watching your back all the time, huh?" He chuckled a little. "Your curse would've been revealed a thousand times over— heck, you'd be sitting in your birthday suit in front of Ucchan right this very minute!"

Ryoga growled and launched himself at Ranma's leg, trying to sink his fangs into it; the fact that Ranma was right did not exactly serve to lessen his anger. Quite the opposite, in fact. Ranma laughed, lifting his leg so he couldn't reach it. "Relax, P-chan, soon you'll be back to your old self again."

Bringing her plain, white terrycloth bathrobe, Ukyo returned to the kitchen. The robe was a large size for her, so it'd probably fit Ryoga okay. She poured the hot water over the piglet, who squealed, and she wondered guiltily if the water hadn't been a little too hot. When the squeals turned into a yell, she was quick to look away, silently handing him the bathrobe.

Ranma looked at the Lost Boy's angry and humiliated face as he pulled the robe tightly around himself. "So, you've told Ucchan, huh? Good job." He leaned forward. "When are you planning on telling Akane?"

Ryoga opened his mouth to speak, but he honestly had no answer. He kept quiet, glaring at Ranma.

Ukyo frowned mildly at the two. "Ranma, you shouldn't pressure him like that. It's probably very hard for him to know how to tell he— "

Ranma gaped at her, and suddenly got angrier than he'd thought he'd be. Initially, he'd been in a good mood, but it came as a harsh insult to him that even Ucchan had started siding with Ryoga. Another girl, defending the pig-boy? And his best friend to boot?

"Pressure?" He exclaimed. "You wanna talk about _pressure_? I made a promise to Ryoga to never tell anyone, and I've been waiting for almost a long time for Ham Head here to spill the beans so I don't have to keep the secret for him anymore!" Ranma gestured wildly, agitated. "Have you got any _idea_ of the things I've had to do, how many times I've kept saving his bacon butt, just because he's too cowardly to tell her?"

Ukyo stared at him, taken aback. No, she _hadn't_ had any idea. Nobody ever told her these sorts of things. Not even Ranma.

"And every time, it put me in a very bad light in front of Akane! It doesn't exactly look right to be yelling at a little piglet, now does it? And every time she'd be, like, 'why are you always picking on Ryoga?' and it'd make me look like a total bully because I could never tell her why! Akane thinks I'm just bein' mean when I was really just tryin' to keep this little pervert outta her bed!"

Something inside Ukyo snapped at that. "It's always _Akane_, isn't it?" She shouted, her hands curling into fists. "You're always worried about what _she _thinks about you, and nobody else!"

Ranma hesitated, intimidated by her sudden wrath. "Ukyo, you know that's not— "

"Yes, you do!" Ukyo's voice cracked a little. "You only care about _her_! You'd never have moved a muscle if it was someone sneaking into _my_ room!"

"Ukyo, I really think you're overreact— " Ranma began, but was silenced by her scowl.

"I think you should leave." Ukyo said quietly.

Ranma looked pained. "Ucchan, where did all this come from suddenly? This wasn't about me and you, it was about Ryoga and how he's— "

"That's just the problem, isn't it?" Ukyo lifted her gaze to his. "It's _never_ about you and me."

To his horror, tears were sparkling in her eyes. "Ucchan— "

Ukyo shook her head. "I'll see you some other time." Normally she wouldn't have reacted this way, and she knew she was being unfair, but the dull pain from when she'd realized that yet again, Ranma hadn't asked her out alone but had brought along another chaperone, hadn't had more than a few minutes to heal. Right now, what she needed was for him to leave so she could clear her head.

Ranma suddenly remembered that he'd have to go anyway, if he were to meet Akane on time— and instantly felt a fierce stab of guilt for once again thinking of Ucchan last. "Okay, I'll just...um... see you later." Ranma promised, walking away.

Ryoga watched as tears trailed down Ukyo's cheeks, her shoulders shaking just a tad. "I'm sorry," he said gravely.

Sniffling a little, Ukyo glanced at him. "Whatever for?"

Ryoga hung his head. "I made you cry."

Ukyo scoffed. "How d'you figure?"

"I...if it hadn't been for me, you two wouldn't have had this fight." Ryoga brushed his wet hair out of his eyes, risking a glance at hers.

Ukyo stared at him, floored. "I can't believe— Ryoga, that fight would've happened sooner or later, anyway! You didn't make me cry!_ I_ made myself cry, _Ranma_ made me cry, but _not_ you, okay?"

"But it was my stupid curse that— "

"SHUT _UP_!" Ukyo screamed, her eyes blazing. "_Gods_! I have _had_ it with that damn self-loathing routine of yours! Can't you just _listen_ to me when I say it's okay!" She stamped her foot, her fists tightening. "MEN! What is _wrong_ with you? Were you put on this Earth to torture me? I can't _believe_ I ever dressed up like one of you!"

Ryoga swallowed; he never really meant to do that, to blame himself for all and everything, but it was something so deeply ingrained in his personality, pounded into him by the countless rejections, losses, defeats and mistakes of a lifetime, that he couldn't help thinking pessimistically. Ukyo couldn't have made it clearer to him that it wasn't his fault, but it was the way she said it that made him doubtful, the unbridled rage she let loose on him forcing him to feel he was doing _something_ wrong. "I'm sorr— " He began automatically.

"_SHUT...__UP_!" Ukyo shouted again, her last nerve wearing thin. "Don't you dare say you're sorry again!" She took a threatening step towards him, and he backed away. "Come on, say something! I can tell you're itching to yell something back!"

"I...uhhh..." Ryoga had broken into a sweat, his heart pounding. He'd never seen Ukyo quite this thunderous. "B-but you told me to shut up!" He objected, confused.

Finally, she grabbed his shoulders, shaking him like a rag doll. "Say something, you directionless pig! Get angry at me!"

Ryoga's eyes narrowed, yet he couldn't tell her off. "H-how can you ask me to do that? You're still crying!"

Growling, Ukyo dried her eyes with the back of her hand. "Fine! How about now? No tears!"

"I...okay." Ryoga cleared his throat. "You shouldn't have...you should have let me stand up to Ranma myself! As it was, I couldn't get a word in edgewise to defend myself against all the crap he was saying about me!"

"What he said was true, though, wasn't it?" She challenged, smirking evilly at him.

"No!" He objected, colouring with anger. "I'm _not_ a pervert, and I'm _not_ a coward!"

Ukyo smiled inwardly; she'd managed to coax out that rarely seen confidence of his. "You've slept in her bed, and you've never told her about your curse!"

"I'm sorry for that, and I will tell her the truth! I will!"

"It's been well over a _year_!"

Ryoga halted momentarily in his frenzied shouting. "B-but I'm usually gone for so long and...uhh..."

"You'll never tell her, you stupid jackass!" Ukyo yelled, giving his shoulder a hard shove.

Ryoga frowned at the okonomiyaki chef, her eyes bright and fevered, one braid coming loose from its elastic, a wild look on her face. She was deliberately provoking him, he realized, and probably didn't mean what she was saying. As to why she was doing it...well, he had a feeling it had something to do with the fight with Ranma— he of all people had perfect understanding of the need to channel the hurt into rage; anything was better than tears sometimes— but also her frustration with him these last few days, which had most likely been mounting.

"I will." He said with finality, looking her straight in the eye. For her sake, he had to pull himself together when she could not.

She nodded; she seemed satisfied with this answer, and with the firmness with which it was delivered, which prompted him to elaborate.

"I know Ranma's right. I've caused him a lot of grief with what I've done." He shrugged, shaking his head in defeat. "The way he's been treating me, though...I guess it's made it easy enough for me to justify that he's the one to blame, always tricking me and pretending to be my friend and threatening to reveal my curse at the worst possible moment, but the thing is that it doesn't make it any better, what I've done. You know what I think of Ranma; he can be a real jerk sometimes, and he's not completely innocent in this, but it's no wonder he gets mad, that he acts like he acts— I can't deny that what I've been doing has been wrong...very wrong...and hasn't been fair to either of them. I can't keep letting him look that bad when really it's just me who's...who's…" Ryoga frowned, wringing his fingers a bit, looking shamefaced. He then drew a breath and started over. "I guess I know he wouldn't tell on me, but I can only expect him to keep it a secret for so long before he's finally had enough. It's a miracle he's lasted this long already."

"If you tell _him_ that, I think he'll come around." Ukyo smiled a bit before looking as if she'd forgotten something important. "But Ryoga...you _know_ you had nothing to do with making me cry, right?" She insisted intensely, grabbing one of his hands.

"I know." He reassured her, squeezing her hand.

"Good!" She released him, clapping her hands together with an almost manic glee. "I feel _so_ much better now! Don't you?"

He sent her a sceptical look. "And people say _I'm_ weird."

Ukyo laughed at that, not quite the full belly laugh she'd let loose the night before, but genuine enough. Then she seemed to relax, and smiled fondly as she looked at him. Sighing, she realized with some astonishment that during her shouting match with Ryoga, her lowered spirits had soared, and that she wasn't feeling half as sad anymore. "C'mon, you big oaf, it's a nice day— we're going to the park!"

Ryoga face-faulted at her sudden metamorphosis from hell-hath-no-fury to innocent-eyed, young maiden. "I think you just sponsored my official giving up on ever trying to understand women."

"Oh, Ryoga," Ukyo said with a flair of theatrics, "that project was doomed from the start!"

* * *

Akane caught sight of Ranma when he was sufficiently far away that she couldn't see his face. She didn't need to see it to tell that he was depressed, however. The dejected slump of his shoulders, the way he dragged his feet a little, the way his bangs hung into his eyes— it all told her more than a thousand words.

In these kinds of situations, her heart always ached to reach out to him, to tell him something that'd make him feel better, but she could never seem to find the words, and whenever she did, he misinterpreted them or shot her a stupid remark instead of a look of gratitude. She'd be damned if she gave up now, though, because just like Saotome Ranma, Tendo Akane was anything but a quitter.

"Ranma?" Moving towards him, she called for him gently.

Lifting his gaze from the pavement, Ranma met Akane's eyes. He opened his mouth, tried to say something— couldn't quite get it out.

"What's wrong?" She asked softly.

Ranma looked at her slightly helplessly. "Ukyo...me and her, we kinda had a fight."

Immediately, Akane was by his side, checking for bruises. Somewhat exasperated, he brushed her aside, but couldn't be annoyed at her; she was just concerned for his well-being as usual. "Not that kinda fight, bubble head," he smiled crookedly at her. "We...we just kinda had a word, that's all."

Akane swallowed. "About what?"

Ranma looked away for a moment, and Akane bit her lip, dreading his answer, her stomach in knots. Ranma regarded her apprehensively while trying to figure out how to put this. Obviously, this would be a good moment for telling her a thing or two he'd been wanting to tell her, but obviously...like always, he didn't have the nerve. "Ucchan...I think she feels...well, left out. Overlooked." He scratched his neck, glancing at her. "Know what I mean?"

Akane nodded solemnly. "I know exactly what you mean." She replied quietly, and he felt his heart twist with remorse. How many times hadn't he forced his attention elsewhere when they both needed it to stay on Akane?

"That's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about, anyway." He shuffled his feet a little. "I've been...well, I've been trying to, y'know, be friends with Ucchan again. Like...kinda like the good old days, I guess, only me not wrestling her for okonomiyaki." He grinned slightly at his own lame joke.

Akane pursed her lips. "Yeah, now she just gives them to her future husband for free."

Ranma's brow furrowed. "No, I mean...see, this is _exactly_ what I was afraid would— " He took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. "When I say friends I mean _friends_, okay? When we went to the movies last week— "

Akane's heart sank. "You took her to see a movie?" She said in a small voice, staring at him. How _could_ he? They were going into the second year of their engagement, and_ they _had yet to go out on a real date!

Ranma sighed, growing frustrated. "When we went to the movies last week," he repeated slowly, slightly irritated at being interrupted before he could clear things up, "I brought Ryoga, too."

The relieved grin slipped before Akane could stop it. "Oh!"

"It was to...well, to show her it wasn't a date, right?" He smiled a little at her. "Besides, Ryoga could use to socialize a little."

Akane rolled her eyes. "Honestly...!"

"He does!" Ranma shrugged. "And...and I figured maybe we could...I dunno, make peace?"

"Would be nice." Akane nodded. "Gets kinda exhausting sometimes, you two always trying to kill each other."

"Wouldn't say kill, but yeah..." He grinned a little. "Wouldn't wanna give up fighting with him, though, he's one of the best."

She smiled. "Boys!" Suddenly she frowned, however. "Why did you talk to Ukyo about Ryoga, anyway? Is something wrong?"

Ranma gulped, taken by surprise. Did she suspect anything about the curse...? "N-nah, nothin' special, just kinda...asked her to keep an eye on him, s'all." He rallied, glancing nervously at her.

Akane glanced back. "That's nice." She cleared her throat. "I mean, he's always so lonely and..." Akane grew quiet, then, looked at him seriously. "Ranma?"

"Mmm?" He turned to her, curious.

"I just..." She squared her shoulders, took a breath, and looked him straight in the eyes. "You said that going to the movies with Ukyo wasn't a date, so I'm just wondering...is _this_? A date, I mean?" She added.

Ranma gaped a little before looking down abashedly, pulling at the sleeve of his shirt. Some strange sounds— attempts at an answer— escaped him, but no actual words. In the end, Akane just smiled at him, deciding to let him off easy. "Let's get some ice cream after lunch, okay?" She suggested softly, ushering him into the restaurant, both finally realizing they had just been standing around outside all this time.

"Sounds good." Ranma smiled back gratefully. Maybe things would work out after all.

* * *

They had made it to the park— _without mishap_, Ukyo thought, feeling stupid as she remembered the whole garden incident— and now they were strolling along at a leisurely pace, chatting as they went.

"I think I can understand why you always acted the way you did around Akane now." Ukyo remarked. "So that was why you were always so nervous?"

Ryoga waved a hand uncertainly. "Y-yeah, I guess...among other things, I was always afraid that sh-she'd..."

"...figure it out?"

Ryoga nodded. "I never knew what to say to her because the only things that were going through my mind each time I saw her were 'I have to tell her how I feel' and 'I have to tell her my most shameful secret'."

Ukyo shook her head. "Not exactly a good basis for starting a casual conversation, huh?"

Ryoga sighed. "Every time I saw her, I constantly felt like I was overwhelming her, like I was so intense it frightened her." He looked away. "And I think it wasn't just my imagination, either."

Ukyo cleared her throat; she could imagine it all too easily. Ryoga really _was_ very intense at times, although he seemed to have quieted down a bit lately, as if all the steam had gone out of him. "Are you glad you told me about the curse?" Ukyo asked then.

Ryoga looked hesitant. "I dunno. Am I going to regret it?"

Ukyo laughed. "I'm not really a blackmail or vengeance type of girl. Even with my ten year old grudge against the Saotomes, all I did was rough Genma up a little and go a couple of rounds with Ranma, and he won the fight, too, of course."

Ryoga shrugged. "Less than they deserved, if you ask me."

Waving a hand dismissively, Ukyo flashed him a wistful look. "Ranma couldn't help it. He was only six years at the time, and...and he didn't even realize I was a girl back then." She swallowed, struggling through painful memories, and Ryoga felt a wave of sadness for the girl. "It was all Genma's fault, that...that greedy bastard, running off with my father's yatai." She shook her head. "Ranma had no idea whatsoever."

"Still...Ranma should have done, should _be _doing...something about it now." Ryoga scowled.

Ukyo frowned, pursing her lips. "I think Ranma is even less certain of what to do about all this than me."

Ryoga hesitated, but ploughed on. "To be fair, I would be completely clueless if_ I_ had three fiancées fighting over me."

Ukyo chuckled a little. "You wouldn't even know what to do with _one_ girlfriend, Hibiki."

Ryoga glared at her, huffing. "Very funny."

Ukyo sobered. "But Ranma...he...I know what he wants. With me, I mean. Lately he's been trying to come up with new and different ways every week of how to be my buddy again." Her voice wavered. "And I'm just so sick of being everyone's buddy all the time. Until he figures out who he really loves— and it seems like that's not gonna happen anytime soon— until then I'm gonna keep trying to pound into his thick skull that I'm a grown woman and not his little sandbox play date!" She tightened her fists. "To him, the relationship is exactly the same it was over eleven years ago— I'm still his little Ucchan whom he mooches okonomiyaki from!"

Ryoga glanced at her. "Do you really think he thinks of you that way, like how you were back then? I mean, maybe he still looks at you like his _friend_, but...we all change, right?"

Ukyo sniffed a little. "Most of the time I don't even know what to think."

"Same here." Ryoga agreed.

Ukyo smiled. "This really seems to be the day for all of my emotional outbursts, huh?"

Ryoga shrugged. "Nice weather for it."

Her smile became quirky; she looked like she'd just sucked a lemon and had liked it immensely. "You're so strange."

"As long as it keeps you entertained..." He countered, which for some reason made her face redden prettily.

"This makes it two days in a row where's it's necessary for me to apologize for yelling at you." She sighed, shaking her head.

"Third time's the charm." Ryoga grinned. "I'm sure you'll yell at me some more tomorrow."

This was obviously the wrong thing to say, because now she was suddenly wearing this funny look on her face. "What makes you think we'll be hanging out tomorrow, Mr. Comedian?"

Her cutting remark teased his spine with icy, ghost-like fingers, making his stomach lurch a little with the shock of it. "I...a-absolutely n-nothing, I don't think we— l-look, I didn't mean to assume that— I d-didn't expect..." He bumbled, fidgeting.

Realizing what she'd done yet again, Ukyo gritted her teeth, mentally scolding herself. It wasn't as if Ryoga had meant to imply that she was a bitch or anything for yelling at him! _Gods, why do I always get so defensive...?_ "No, I— that's not what I meant, Ryoga. If...if you want, you could— well, I don't really have time to hang out tomorrow, 'cause I _do_ have a restaurant to run, but if you don't have any plans, maybe..." Her voice became small and hopeful out of its own volition. "...maybe you could help me?"

His mind still muddled, he gaped. "What...?"

"Nothing too much, though," A jumbled explanation poured out of her. "Just, you know, maybe do some dishes and help me take in the banners and straighten the place out a bit after hours and...and if there's something heavy that needs a-liftin', we all know you're the man for that, right?" She finished with a flourish and a lop-sided smile.

"Oh." She wanted him to stay and help? To keep her company in her restaurant? And they could continue doing this, talking and walking and eating and sleeping and laughing and this wonderful feeling would be maintained, this feeling of companionship and belonging and then there was the laughter, again, which rocked his very soul—

He started a little, then; she seemed to be asking him a question.

"So, um...are you busy?" She looked at him with those big, soulful eyes and who could say no to that?

"Really not!" He blurted, then immediately felt ashamed. Hibiki Ryoga, wandering lost and lonely in all his patheticness, with nothing but time on his hands and no one to—

"Great!" She squealed, squeezing his arm, and he forgot all about shame. The hot flush overtaking his face had mowed shame down like a steamroller squashing a bug.

* * *

**Author's notes: **

First off, I hope no one got offended by the mention of Ryoga's, ahem, boner. I just want to explore the sexuality of the repressed Nerimians in a non-tentacle-hardcore-porn kind of way, just a couple of young people who're basically very inexperienced and both nervous and curious about matters of the flesh. Morning wood happens, people, and especially to young men. Personally, I find it adorable, so if there are any people out there who're reading this fic who don't appreciate that sort of thing, please close your eyes for later chapters.

Without ruining the plot (everyone knows what's going to happen in this story, anyway— they get together, of course, the question is simply how it happens) there is going to be some tentative and less tentative explorations of Ryoga and Ukyo's sexuality. With age comes changes and they're both noticing them. This isn't just hormones, though, 'cause first of all they're started to get interested in each other's well being. This story is primarily about Ryoga and Ukyo's issues with themselves and each other, this is no PWP. :)

Again, I apologize for the references to Japanese literature. Tsugumi is just about the only Japanese novel I've read (I've only read two short stories by Akutagawa Ryuunosuke called 'Kappa' and 'Kumo No Ito'), so that's why it was the only choice for me to have Ukyo lend to Ryoga, but besides that, I also chose it because Yoshimoto Banana is more or less the complete opposite of Mr. Depresso writer Akutagawa.

Besides the fact that she's a woman, and is still alive and writing, her novels are more or less up-beat and harbour a positive view on life even though the characters have their issues. Furthermore, the main character Tsugumi is a lot like Ukyo. She "talks like a boy and curses like a sailor" just like Ryoga described Ukyo in the last chapter. She's a lot ruder than Ukyo, though, who's basically a very sweet person, but she has some of the same cynical humour and cares fiercely for her friends, even though she may express it awkwardly ("You jackass!") and is very independent and strong-willed.

And yes, there really is such a thing as Banana Mania. I'm not sure if it's an actual fan club, but it's a phenomenon. Yoshimoto Banana is very popular among young people in Japan and is very famous, and therefore it seems likely for both Ukyo and Akane to like her. I wanted them to have something in common, I guess. I haven't read Kitchen yet (I have bought it, though ;), but as I understand it, it's one of her most popular books, and I think it was the first one she published.

The snow festival at Hokkaido is really worth watching. I've only seen pictures, as I had to return to my own country for Spring Break and missed the festival, but my friends tell me it's great.

Since Ryoga always ends up at Okinawa in the manga each time he tries to go to Hokkaido to train, I figured I'd let him get there finally. :)

As for the P-chan thing— yeah, it's not original, but unfortunately it's something every Ryoga/Ukyo fic has to go through in order for it to produce any kind of healthy relationship. Imagine Ryoga trying to hide that secret from Ukyo forever, huh?

**Hazukashii: **Shameful/embarrassing and ashamed/embarrassed. It seemed fitting for this chapter. :)

**Okonomiyaki yatai:** Okonomiyaki cart; okonomiyaki shop on wheels. :)

**Yakitori: **Basically pieces of fried chicken on sticks.

**Engawa: **The name for that little veranda that runs around the garden. Explanation stolen from Nodoka's story In The Cold Dark Ways. Sorry. I love your story, though. :)

* * *


	4. Nichijou Seikatsu

**Omiyage: Nichijou Seikatsu**  
By Ninnik Nishukan

* * *

Ukyo had never been particularly shy, Akane thought, but nowadays she was positively _bursting_ with energy at school. During gym class she was running first in line when they were doing laps and during the ordinary classes she'd just started answering questions more often where before she might've been quiet and even a little bit of a daydreamer, always staring at the back of Ranma's neck or something. The biggest change, however, was that she'd taken to having conversations with Akane more often at school; she'd never been cold and…well, a little bitchy with her like Shampoo had a tendency to be, but she never used to deliberately seek out Akane for a simple chat unless Ranma was around, either.

Akane found Ukyo laughing a little to herself during the lunch break one day, but when she asked her, she only waved a hand evasively and shrugged, stifling a chuckle behind her hand.

"You seem more energetic these days, Ukyo," she commented tryingly. "Are things going well at the restaurant or something?"

Ukyo grinned, nodding as she helped herself from the rice in her bento box. "Got an assistant." She said simply before falling silent as she chewed her food.

Akane arched an eyebrow, curious, and sat down next to Ukyo. Ranma was off buying lunch because he'd overslept that morning and forgot his bento box, but she, like Ukyo, had her own bento. "Must be nice to have some help," Akane said as she removed the lid of the bento. "Truth be told, I've always wondered how you've managed to run a restaurant all by yourself."

Ukyo shrugged. "I must admit it's been a relief to get some assistance."

"So who is this mystery person?" Akane asked, unable to help herself.

"I believe it might be someone you know," Ukyo said enigmatically.

Akane raised her eyebrows. "You're just saying that so I'll be forced to go and see for myself and maybe bring some business your way in the process, aren't you?" She asked flatly.

When Ukyo said nothing, her expression kept deliberately blank, Akane started thrumming her fingers on the desk top, pursing her lips in conflict until curiosity finally won her over. "OK, I will." She promised finally.

Ukyo laughed.

* * *

It really _was_ nice to have someone around the house who could do the inhumanly heavy lifting and other such things. What it saved her in having to hire professional help seemed to ease Ryoga's guilt— although she'd insisted time and again he needn't think about it— over staying at her house as a 'freeloader'.

She could understand it, though. Everybody liked to feel useful.

Before she knew it, he'd stayed at her house for more than three entire weeks.

He was still sleeping on the floor in her room, and neither of them had mentioned anything about it. There was no other option, anyway, lest she suggest he sleep in the broom closet, and she assumed that this wouldn't go over very well.

The night after the very first night that she'd let him stay there, he'd given her this long look as he'd hovered uncertainly near the door to her room as it was getting late and she was showing signs of wanting to go to sleep.

She was stretching a little and yawning when he'd taken a hesitant step forward. "U-Ukyo? Should I…am I supposed to…I could still go home, it's not too late…"

Ukyo had looked at him, at the tense body language and insecure expression and smiled mildly at him. She'd said nothing, only got up and laid out the spare futon again and walked past him to the bathroom to brush her teeth, and that had basically been it. "Thank you, Ukyo." He'd told her quietly as he followed her to the bathroom. She'd smiled to herself when he couldn't see. "No problem."

She had thought it would be the simple thing to do, and it was. The following night, he'd rolled out the futon himself; he now knew that he was welcome to stay.

* * *

Ryoga slept better now, he realized, and thought to himself that some of it was due to the fact that he'd told her about his curse; one significant worry he'd had around her had certainly been lifted. She was still curious about it and had started asking him about how it happened.

He told her. She listened.

She seemed to come to understand the rage he'd directed at Ranma in the past as he unravelled the story of his experiences at Jusenkyo, even if he admitted that it had just been a stupid mishap. He'd needed an outlet for his misery, she said, and Ranma had been it. Even the thought that it had all been an evil ploy from Ranma's side to ruin his life was more bearable than to see it for what it truly was— nothing but a meaningless, tragic accident.

Ukyo found herself getting used to, should she wake up in the middle of the night, having someone to talk to, or at least, should he be asleep, having the placating knowledge that someone was _there_.

The dark circles beneath his eyes were starting to fade, and she was relieved.

Ryoga found himself getting into a sort of routine for what was perhaps the first time in his life, and while he had halfway expected something like that to be slightly boring, it rather felt...soothing. It was stable and comforting because his days felt full; he had things to do besides wandering around aimlessly. It felt like he was constantly on the move despite staying in the same place all the time. Not being lost was a very new experience to him.

The tranquillity, the peace of mind he discovered while brushing his teeth next to Ukyo every night after an actual home-cooked dinner indoors, after a long day at the restaurant, rivalled that of looking at a mountain reflected on the surface of a lake on a calm day, those days where he would forget his troubles for more than ten minutes.

No, it was better.

He wasn't alone.

Having a routine didn't have to mean that _exactly_ the same thing happened everyday, he found. It only meant that a few things happened at more or less the same time, like breakfast, lunch and dinner, little things that helped bind the portions of the day together, little things to look forward to because it meant time alone with Ukyo, it meant a meal or a conversation; usually both.

Getting to know Ukyo, he discovered, could never be boring. He saw her conversing with her customers, saw her hair and eyes dance as she worked, saw the deft flick of her wrist as she flipped an okonomiyaki over once, twice. Each one was a little bit different; she would paint little pictures on them with the sauce, he noticed, something he'd never really thought about before, mostly because in the few instances she'd ever cooked him okonomiyaki before, he'd been so hungry that there could have been nude art of prime minister Koizumi on them and he still wouldn't have noticed before they'd all been devoured.

He surprised her by the fact that he was neat. He had yet to spread his belongings all over her room or to drop wet towels everywhere after each shower, and he always rolled up his bedding in the morning. After a couple of nights, she'd rummaged around in the attic and had conjured up some extra bedding for him so he wouldn't have to sleep in that stuffy sleeping bag. She chalked his neatness down to the fact that he would have to keep track of his belongings while travelling, so he couldn't go around just tossing them all over the place.

The only thing was that his tidiness annoyed her sometimes because it made her guilty whenever she'd make a mess of her room. Sure, she kept her restaurant and her own little kitchen spotless, but she tended to have a little more relaxed attitude when it came to her own room.

She noticed the little things, too, like the fact that he was now reading the book she'd lent him, whenever he had the time.

Besides the odd undershirt or two, Ryoga had exactly seven shirts. Two sleeveless, black ones, the Hokkaido shirt, two of his standard yellow, long-sleeved ones, a blank, red T-shirt, and a worn, green, woollen sweater. She knew because he'd gone through his entire repertoire twice already during the time he'd spent with her. After a while, when he felt like he'd repaid his debt of room and board, she'd have to breach the subject of putting him on a payroll— if nothing else so he could renew his wardrobe. She'd already tried approaching him about a salary, but he just wouldn't have it.

Ryoga took his coffee black in the morning. He made breakfast once and it was pretty good— western style, hold the bacon. He liked her yakisoba just as much as her okonomiyaki and told her she should make it more often. He was good at making curry, she'd discovered, and he'd dared her to buy the spiciest kind there was. He'd been worried when it made her eyes water; he hadn't even _laughed_. That had made her feel very strange.

Ukyo was an early bird, but she liked to have a cup of green tea first thing in the morning before she could even think about eating breakfast. She said it started her up. She would smile as she took the first sip.

Ukyo liked to wear jeans and a comfortable top or T-shirt when she wasn't working. He noticed how well her pants hugged her hips when she walked. When they sat and watched TV he noticed that the sleeves on her tops were always very short, because her bare upper arms would sometimes brush against his when she shifted to get more comfortable in the couch. If it was chilly of an evening, though, she would wear these very long-sleeved, soft sweaters that seemed to embrace her, and sometimes he would stare at how only the last joints of her fingers were visible where her hands peeked out of her sleeves as they curled around a tea cup; he would think how small and delicate they were and get the urge to put his arm around her to shield her against something intangible, but then he'd shake his head at himself, confused; it wasn't as if Ukyo didn't know how to take care of herself!

Of course, there were a lot of things to get used to since he'd never lived with anyone before, except maybe his parents. First of all, there was the fact that he was now living with a _girl_, which just put a whole new spin on his life completely.

Now he had to be careful not to accidentally walk in on her in the shower and such things, and almost every day he had to risk seeing things like bras and panties and boxes of tampons strewn carelessly about her room, which tended to make him think things he shouldn't be thinking.

During the second week, he'd noticed a strange change in her, like how she'd suddenly consumed very large amounts of tea and chocolate and how she would start sniffling and dabbing at her eyes with her handkerchief during the sappiest scenes ever when they were watching some stupid show or movie on TV at night.

Also, he'd heard her muttering to herself one morning that she was fat and when he'd tried to tell her she wasn't, for some reason she'd gotten upset and yelled at him, accusing him of lying. He'd had absolutely no clue what it was all about until he'd realized it had been going on for several days, at which point he'd simply tried his best not to get in her way.

One day he'd overslept badly and was having his morning shower, or more like an afternoon shower, when she was coming home from school, and she'd walked in on him just as he was getting out of the shower. Luckily, he'd had his back turned, but even so he'd thought he'd die from the embarrassment. He'd stayed in the bathroom for half an hour after that until she'd finally come around and banged on the door because she still hadn't used the toilet, which had been her intention in the first place.

She seemed to think it was _funny_, which only made it worse. It was sometimes a little upsetting how…forward and unaffected she seemed to be at times. Of course, he'd also had to wonder if she'd been laughing because she thought he looked _stupid_ naked, a prospect that was rather painful for him. It was strange, really; normally he never worried about his appearance much at all because he felt he had so many other qualities to make him unlovable; his looks were the least of his concerns. Lately, though, he'd become self-conscious in a way that had nothing to do with his Jusenkyo curse, his abysmal sense of direction or his lack of confidence in his own social skills. He noticed he was taking a little more care when he dressed himself in the mornings.

Normally she'd wear a bathrobe, but sometimes she'd walk across the hallway between her room and the bathroom in nothing but a bath towel, and he'd catch a glimpse of her from the kitchen or something and nearly choke on his tea. How could she _do_ this to him? Did she _know_ what she was doing to him? Ryoga knew he was shy and sort of a hopeless romantic, but as he'd be the first to admit, unfortunately he could also be a bit of a pervert.

His mind had a tendency to run away with him whenever he caught a glimpse of such things, and the reason he knew he was a bit of a pervert was because he _had_ to be— why else did it take so much less for him to get excited than the average guy?

Usually a guy would have to see at least a naked chest or in some cases, maybe even a whole _busload _of naked women to reach the levels of excitement that _he_ did, or maybe not even then; he couldn't imagine anyone _else_ feeling like their head was about to implode like that, just before the world started spinning. You had to be pretty darn excited if it all became so much for you that you actually _fainted_.

The human race would have been extinct long ago if the world had been populated by males who reacted the way he did, he reasoned.

Once when he caught sight of her traipsing across the hall in a shorter towel than usual, the cup he was holding in his hand shattered, and he had to spend a good ten minutes afterwards attempting to explain to a very angry Ukyo why he was decked out on the kitchen floor with a nose bleed, the remains of her favourite cup scattered all around him.

Ryoga hadn't woken up with 'morning wood' again after that awkward incident, which had been a relief to Ukyo. However embarrassing it was to admit it, even to herself, it had been..._fascinating_ to look at, but she'd felt like she'd been invading his privacy, which she _had_, despite the fact that it had happened in _her _room. She found herself blushing at times when he would stumble around sleepily in the mornings in nothing but boxers and an undershirt, and felt incredibly silly whenever she realized that she was doing things like swallowing nervously or clutching her bathrobe tighter around herself.

When she'd accidentally walked in on him just as he was getting out of the shower one afternoon, she'd acted like it was all just very hilarious— and it_ had _been! Why hadn't he thought to lock the door? And why hadn't she thought to knock? It was the kind of thing that only happened in stupid sitcoms, so naturally she'd laughed. Not surprisingly, he had failed to see _quite_ the same amount of humour in it.

…but then there was the fact that while, yes, it had all been very lame comedy-esque, the situation had also happened to involve a dripping wet, naked, young man…whom she was forced to still live with after getting to know what he looked like naked…well, the back of him, anyway; it had been a blessing that he'd been facing away from her, at least, or she'd have probably had to wait a week or at least a couple of days before being able to look him in the eye again. There were certain…parts…of him that didn't need any thinking about. Just the sight of that much skin, though, wet and tight against his muscles, even if it'd just been a brief flash, was already driving her to distraction at times. It wasn't often, but during idle moments at work, sometimes she'd be staring thoughtlessly into space and then—

BAM! Flesh-O-Rama! Or maybe she'd be sitting on the couch with him and his elbow would brush against hers and BAM! There they'd be; mental images she didn't want. It wasn't bad, it wasn't a nuisance in everyday life or anything...it was just that _once in a while…_

The mornings were still the times when she found it the most difficult not to stare at him, though. She watched him yawning widely one morning and caught a glimpse of his bared teeth, fanglike as they were, and instantly thought of the lions she'd seen at the zoo when she was little, lounging about in their pit and baring their fangs in mighty, roaring yawns.

Yes, he was a bit odd…and he made her think odd things.

Ukyo always wanted to do something, always suggested they go out somewhere or go to see something, like a movie or to the zoo or a museum, even though school and the restaurant took up all her time and they wouldn't be able to do even half the things on her ever-expanding list. Her zealousness could be a little stressful at times, but he knew it was because there were so many things she wanted to do now that she actually had someone to do them with.

He never objected until she asked him to come along for karaoke with a few of her regular customers after closing time one night. He didn't really know many songs, let alone the ones that were popular right then, and he didn't want to embarrass her.

He said she could go if she wanted to and he could just stay, as he assumed she knew these people and had gone out with them before, but she dithered a bit then and shook her head; from this he gathered that perhaps she was shyer than she looked, and that she hadn't been to karaoke before, or at least not with these people.

Somehow that had made him feel a burst of affection for her. He wasn't much for crowds; what he liked the best were the quiet nights when it was just the two of them. At those times, Ukyo seemed more like…well; he liked her company better, then. She was more relaxed and mellow and not so overwhelming to deal with. Then again, he knew himself well enough to be aware of the fact that practically _anybody_ would look peppy next to him.

* * *

Ryoga turned out to be a good assistant at Ucchan's.

There was that incident when there was water all over the kitchen floor and she found that her new dish washer had turned into a piglet, and the time where he almost wandered off down the street when she asked him to step outside and take down the banners, but all in all Ryoga's employment at her restaurant was going pretty smoothly, she felt, once she'd showed him the ropes and he'd gotten used to the place.

Ukyo was always full of energy, a distinct contrast to his often gloomy moods, and she was used to dealing with people, which he wasn't. She seemed to be utterly flabbergasted when he actually _volunteered_ to do the dishes to escape the hustle and bustle of the restaurant. He could only escape serving the customers for so long, though.

She could be very bossy, and in his opinion, perhaps she was a little too serious about her trade. Learning how a restaurant was run had been a trying few days. She even had a very certain way of doing the dishes which he had to conform to— she was very set in her ways when it came to the restaurant, which probably stemmed from the fact that she'd always run it alone— and she had a tendency to get impatient and scold him too often if he did something wrong, but after he managed to work himself into a rhythm at the restaurant, get a feel for the job, the reprimands were fewer and farer between, and as he got better at the job and the performance pressure factor went down, he was actually beginning to enjoy himself.

Then of course there was the getting up early, which he seriously doubted he'd _ever_ get used to, but at least Ucchan's was closed on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays to allow her time for her school work. It could have been worse, he felt.

It was the time outside of work hours that seemed to be a bit trickier, in her opinion.

During the first few days while they were still getting used to not living alone, things could be a little bit on edge. It was nice having somebody around, but getting used to each other's little quirks and each other's daily routines was a little difficult at first.

She was a morning person and he wasn't, but she could tell he was trying to accommodate to her daily schedule, that he was struggling to go to sleep early and get up early so he could help her in the restaurant during weekends. He would still grumble about it in the mornings, though, calling her a slave driver under his breath. He was obviously not used to having a set time when he would have to get up in the mornings.

They'd had a big fight one day when she'd asked him to cook because she was tired. In the middle of cooking, he'd had to just step away for a brief moment to go to the bathroom, but unfortunately he couldn't find his way back to the kitchen once he was done, and Ukyo had gone to take a nap, so when she awoke a good twenty minutes later, it was to the ear-splitting, high pitched beeps of the smoke detector going off because of a smoke-filled kitchen caused by a big portion of stew cooking dry, turning the bottom of one of her best pots completely black, not to mention a panicked Ryoga stumbling around somewhere down in her restaurant, trying desperately to find the kitchen.

"You idiot!" Ukyo had screamed, still disoriented from sleep and feeling angry and somewhat frightened about what had almost happened. "You could've burned my restaurant down!"

Ryoga had cringed at that, looking wretched. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't—"

"Don't you ever just stop and _think_, you jackass?" Ukyo had yelled into his face. "It can't be _that_ hard, can it? I mean, it's just a small apartment, for goodness sake! What the hell were you doing, anyway?"

Ryoga had shut his eyes, grimacing with guilt. "Just…just needed t-to go to the b-bathroom…" He'd said in a small voice.

"Argh!" Ukyo had exclaimed, bashing him over the head with her giant spatula once or twice. "Who the hell gets lost on their way to the bathroom? Fuck!" She'd stomped her foot in anger.

She'd been surprised when Ryoga had stood up, then, clenching his fists as he met her gaze. "You're talking as if I did it on _purpose_!"

She had growled. "Who knows? Maybe you're just stupid!" Exasperated, she'd shaken her head. She'd known it wasn't his fault, of course, but the truth was that his Jusenkyo curse wasn't half as frustrating as his utter lack of any kind of directional sense. At least you had to apply water to make the _Jusenkyo_ curse kick in…!

"Don't call me stupid." Ryoga had said in this odd voice, sounding both subdued and defiant at the same time; she'd heard both sadness and anger there. "And you didn't have to hit me."

"Whatever!" She'd scoffed. "I need to go clean up! And thanks to you, I have to get a new smoke detector installed!"

Ryoga had frowned. "What happened to the old one?"

"My spatula happened!" She'd snapped.

"Why didn't you just turn it off?"

Ukyo had gritted her teeth. "I couldn't reach up to it to turn it off, okay?"

He'd given her an odd look. "Why didn't you just stand on a chair?"

"Shut up!" Ukyo had barked, her face red. "If it hadn't been for you, none of this would've happened!" With that, she'd turned on her heel and marched up the stairs.

An hour later when she'd calmed down and went to see what he was doing, he'd still been down in the restaurant, sitting bent over the grill with his head in his hands.

"Ryoga?" She'd frowned, suddenly feeling apprehensive.

"Don't worry, I'll leave." He'd said in clipped tones, and she'd frowned harder. "Excuse me?"

"I know I'm a bother," Ryoga had said, sounding less defiant. "So I'll just leave if you get me my stuff, seeing as I can't even find my way upstairs to get it."

Ukyo had just stared at him. "You know, you really _are_ an idiot," She'd shaken her head.

She'd seen him wince, and noticed that his eyes were a bit red as he glanced at her; either he'd been crying or it might be that he was about to. "I know." He'd said in a dead voice.

Sighing heavily, Ukyo had shaken her head again. This was one of the things they'd been trying to get over during the last few days. She was used to speaking a bit too roughly and freely and he was very careful about what he said and took things too literally. "I know I can be insensitive, Sugar, but you're _too_ sensitive, did you know that?"

Looking up, Ryoga had sent her a puzzled frown. "What…?"

"You're _not_ an idiot and you _don't_ have to leave just because we had a fight!" She'd sighed. "We can just apologize."

This had seemed to be news to Ryoga. "All right," he'd said eventually.

"I overreacted, so I said…some bad things." Ukyo had said, feeling as if she should go first. "I'm sorry for yelling at you and hitting you." She'd added, shamefaced.

Ryoga had cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for scaring you like that, making the smoke detector go off while you were sleeping and all…" He'd agreed.

They'd looked at each other solemnly for a while as they contemplated what more to say, but after a while it had become apparent that they'd already said what had needed to be said. They'd become friends again.

She'd smiled at him as he'd followed her upstairs to start up another dinner.

* * *

Ukyo made sure Ryoga got a few breaks during the day from doing the dishes. She knew he spent his breaks doing complicated kata in the backyard, because she'd caught a glimpse of it once or twice when going to fetch him for work, and she wished she had time to watch. As she cooked her okonomiyaki for her customers, she tried to imagine what he would look like as he went through entire series of them, and contemplated asking him one day to show her. Maybe even teach her.

She had P.E. at school twice a week and tried to go jogging wherever she could, at least once or twice a week, so she knew she wasn't out of shape or anything, but she was getting increasingly aware of the fact that she'd been letting her martial arts skills slip a little lately.

During the daytime when she was at school, she'd just let him sleep in so he'd be alert and awake for the few hours in the evenings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays when Ucchan's was open during weekdays. She knew he didn't sleep in for _that_ long, however, so she had to wonder how he spent his time.

She'd told him he was welcome to use her computer and the TV, to read her books and to help himself to food in the kitchen, but he didn't seem like he was at home at all around computers; he'd had no idea what she was talking about once when she'd tried to show him how to use the internet and unfortunately he'd managed to stumble across a porn site on which some very graphic ads kept popping up and crowding the screen and he'd ended up passed out on her bed room floor with a heavy nose bleed. She'd had to resort to slapping his pale face about twenty times before he came to again. Ukyo had then proceeded to ask him, only half in jest, if she should get him some iron tablets to stop him from becoming anaemic.

After that little episode, he'd been very reluctant to even come near her computer, let alone actually use it himself. As for TV, he didn't really seem to know a lot of shows, either, and even so, daytime TV basically stunk, so she wondered whether he just spent his days reading all of her books.

One day when she came home early after school, though, her last class having been cancelled, she found him sitting at her desk, bent over some paperwork; she walked over, her curiosity piqued. He was wearing one of his yellow, long-sleeved shirts, but her eyebrows arched as she realized she had never seen him in jeans before.

It looked good.

Couching a little to get his attention, she leaned over his shoulder. "Whatcha writin'?"

He jumped a little in his seat and craned his neck around to look up at her. "You're home early," He said somewhat blearily, as if he'd been far away. Since she kept looking at him, he glanced down at his work, waving a hand dismissively at it. "Uh, just some homework…" He mumbled evasively.

She looked puzzled. "Homework? But, um…you don't go to school…do you?"

His hairline reddened, and he bit his lip. "Well, you see…I kind of do."

"How?" She tilted her head at him.

He turned his chair to face her and drew a breath. "As you can imagine, my attendance record has to be pretty damn weak, right?"

Ukyo giggled a little; at least he was trying to have a sense of humour about it. "Yeah?

"Well, the thing is that on the first day of school I ever had, my parents explained my…" He gestured uncertainly as he tried to think of an appropriate word. "…my _situation _to the principal and my teachers, and they made a little arrangement."

Ukyo settled casually against the side of her desk, half-sitting, half-standing. "What was that?"

"Since I'd probably only manage to actually get to class about one out of ten times, my parents arranged for me to get every piece of homework at the start of term so I could do it by myself, and this way keep up with the other students."

"But wasn't that hard?"

He shrugged. "I got some help from my parents and from the teachers when I made it to school, but yeah, a lot of the time I had to manage by myself."

"What are you doing now?"

"Maths."

"Can I see?" Ukyo leaned closer.

His eyes flickered uncertainly from her to the homework and back up to her before he seemed to relent. "Sure…"

When he handed her the work book, she flipped through the pages, looking up at him in awe as she reached the place where his notes stopped appearing. "Ryoga…we were doing these tasks in class only a month ago!"

He met her gaze curiously. "Really?"

She nodded, incredulous. "You've almost caught up with us! That's amazing!"

He ducked his head, abashed. "Yeah, well... I've always had lot of free time on my hands, haven't I?"

Ukyo pursed her lips, determined to change the subject. She'd be damned if he was going to start coming over all brooding and depressing again. "How do they grade your work?"

This seemed to get him going a little again. "Once I finish a certain bulk of the assignments, I usually mail it to them, or if luck should have it, I can hand it in if I happen across the school on my way. Then they send the results to my house. Once I've done everything I need for half a year of school, I get more material after the spring vacation, and then I advance to the next grade once I've finished everything for an entire year… and then I get more material after the summer vacation for the next grade."

Ukyo nodded slowly. "So…if this is the material you're working on now, then…technically, you're actually in the same grade as me?"

He looked a little humiliated at this. "I may be a hopeless case, but I do want an education, you know, same as everybody else…"

"Ryoga…" Ukyo frowned. "You know I didn't mean anything like that, I just didn't know you were still in school."

He looked away. "I admit it's been kind of tough since I got my Jusenkyo curse since I have a tendency to lose my stuff after…well, you know, what with being unable to carry it and all…if it's a book, it's not too hard to replace, but if it's just handouts, it's worse…but I've had them mail me extra copies of it to my house so I can get some more if I need it." He turned in his chair again, looking down at the pile of homework on Ukyo's desk. "They've been very understanding, really." Here he chuckled ironically. "No wonder, though, seeing as me and my parents had to camp outside the school building for three days before I started school to be able to go see the principal on time."

Ukyo put a hand on his shoulder. "Everyone's entitled to an education, Ryoga."

He looked up at her and hope began to slowly bloom in him in the face of her generous smile. "Yeah, I guess so." He agreed, attempting to return the smile. Grinning, Ukyo reached up and ruffled his hair. "C'mon, sweetie, we've got a restaurant to run!"

* * *

That very afternoon, Akane came around to the restaurant like she'd said she'd do one day, and as Ryoga saw her walking in, Ukyo caught him turning a dark scarlet.

She didn't quite know why, but this made something twist inside her. Frowning briefly, she put on a smile as she looked up and met the other girl's eyes.

"Hi, Akane!"

"Hi, Ukyo! And…uh…Ryoga?" Akane was glancing back and forth between her and Ryoga, looking surprised, but then a delighted smirk slowly spread itself across her lips. "Long time, no see, Ryoga," She smiled at him before turning back to Ukyo with an amused glimmer in her eyes. "So…this is the mystery man, huh?"

As he shot her a bewildered glance, Ukyo found that she was blushing as intently as Ryoga had been doing before. Laughing nervously, she went to prepare an okonomiyaki for her class mate. "Uh…what kind of toppings would you like?" She said quickly, by way of hopeful distraction.

"Let's see…how about pork?" Akane suggested; Ukyo heard Ryoga make an odd, strangled sort of noise beside her. As she glanced at him, she noticed he'd gone slightly green around the gills. "I'm afraid we're out of pork," she lied absently as she looked at him, receiving a grateful, yet slightly weak smile from Ryoga for her troubles.

Akane shrugged, sitting down. "Seafood's fine, too."

"Excuse me," Ryoga croaked and disappeared into the back, mumbling something about having to do the dishes before he closed the door after him. After a while, they could indeed hear sounds of running water and clattering dishes.

"So, Ukyo…how did he come to be working here?" Akane asked as she watched Ukyo cooking.

Ukyo drew a breath, contemplating her answer. "I don't know, really, it just kind of turned out that way."

"What do you mean?" Akane asked curiously, leaning slightly forward.

"I just met him one day and I hadn't seen him for a long while so we just started talking, I guess, and then I met him again and we went to my house because it was raining and then there was a storm, so I let him stay here, and then I, I dunno why, but I offered him a job here…" She'd left out a lot of details, like how they'd gotten to know each other better and how she'd wanted him not to be alone but at the same time how she hadn't wanted to be alone herself and—

"He's_ living_ here?" Akane was staring at her, she suddenly realized.

Ukyo noticed belatedly that she'd been pouring okonomiyaki sauce on the grill instead of on the actual okonomiyaki. Cursing, she tried scraping the quickly burning sauce off of the grill with a spatula. "Well, what's wrong with that?" She asked defiantly, the blush blooming on her face belying her confident voice. "If he doesn't, how am I supposed to get him to come to work every day?" She demanded as she liberally applied more sauce to the okonomiyaki. "He'll be on the other side of the planet by Wednesday if I ask him to come to work on Thursday!"

Akane was looking slightly red herself by this point. "I-I didn't meant to be rude, Ukyo, I'm sorry. It's none of my business, really." She cleared her throat. "I was just…surprised, that's all."

"It's okay." Ukyo said uncomfortably; it had just dawned on her that, when having to explain to someone else the current situation with Ryoga, she had been at a loss for words, or rather, she had been forced to edit out a lot of things that had _led_ to the current situation, and she had to wonder why. Then, again, she supposed that she had no business telling Akane the things Ryoga had told her in confidence about himself and his family and what she in turn had told him, and she had no desire to tell Akane about the time they'd spent together. It was just that she'd never had to answer any questions about herself and Ryoga before, so there were a few things she'd never had to consider, that she'd never had to ask herself whether people would find strange or not.

There was nothing secret about the two of them, though, was there?

Still, she had gotten to know so many things about Hibiki Ryoga lately, gotten to know him so well, and they were even sleeping in the same _room_—

"So, I guess he's sleeping in the guest room or something, right?" Akane asked politely. It wasn't her intention to pry; this was simply the only thing she could think to ask to break the silence with.

Ukyo opened and shut her mouth a few times and then looked down awkwardly. "I…I don't have a guest room." She said in a small voice.

Akane blinked. "Oh."

"He sleeps on a futon on the floor." Ukyo ventured, feeling as if she had to explain things a bit further so Akane wouldn't think that—

"I see." Akane said uncertainly, again just saying something to have something to say.

Ukyo nodded, serving her the okonomiyaki. "Yep."

Akane took a bite out of her food. "It's really good!" She blurted, trying once more to fix the uncomfortable atmosphere. Besides, it really _was_ rather tasty, as always.

"Thanks." Ukyo nodded gratefully. "So…um…where's Ranma today?"

Akane looked slightly wretched at the question. "I, uh…think he's…well, you see…um…" She cursed herself mentally; she'd always been so lousy at lying.

"He's afraid I'm still mad at him, isn't he?" Ukyo said bluntly.

Squirming a little in her seat, Akane nodded reluctantly.

"Thought so." Ukyo nodded.

"_Are_ you?" Akane leaned again, a concerned frown on her face.

Ukyo was scraping absently at the stains on the grill with a small spatula. "I kinda won't know until I talk to him again."

Akane nodded slowly. "I understand." She sat up straighter and took another bite out of her meal. "How is Ryoga, anyway?" She inquired after a pause. "He kinda just disappeared before I got to talk to him."

Ukyo couldn't help but smile a little. "I think he's doing just fine."

"I sort of miss him sometimes when he's gone," Akane said wistfully, poking at her okonomiyaki with her chopsticks. "He's always so nice to me. It really is too bad that he's always gone for such a long while at a time." She lamented.

Ukyo clutched her spatula tighter as she felt, out of nowhere, a spear of agitation and sadness impale her heart; it was strange, she was feeling kind of sick, kind of upset, kind of…

She suddenly thought back to Ryoga's blush upon Akane's entrance and the feeling all but tripled in its intensity. What the hell was this? She had no idea; all she knew was that the cause of it was how Akane had been talking about Ryoga right then. Why was _she_ talking about him with such familiarity? _She_ didn't know him!

"He's not _that _great!" She heard herself say, feeling strangely detached, suddenly understanding what people meant when they said it was as if they were on the outside looking at themselves. "He's got _no_ sense of direction, he's always depressed, he's self-destructive and spineless and has _no_ decision-making skills whatsoever and do you _know_ what he did last night, he—"

Again, Akane was goggling at her as if she was some bizarre, exotic creature from another dimension, and Ukyo snapped her mouth shut when she realized what she'd been saying. "I-I…I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," She sputtered, ashamed, glancing in a burst of panic at the door to the back room to see if Ryoga had heard anything, but fortunately the sounds of frantic dishwashing were still audible.

Akane sucked in a breath as a pang of guilt and not a small amount of shock overwhelmed her; that was exactly how she'd refer to Ranma whenever somebody put her on the spot about how she felt about him or…whenever some other girl would praise him. She made a silent vow to try to check herself from now on, to keep from doing it the next time. And maybe she should stop asking Ukyo questions about Ryoga, because there was obviously…_something_…going on that Ukyo wasn't entirely prepared to deal with yet; it was like looking in a mirror, Akane thought. Even though she and Ranma had progressed slightly as of late, it was still like looking in a mirror.

"It's okay," She said meekly to Ukyo; after all, who was she to pass any judgement?

Ukyo caught her gaze and there was some sort of strange understanding in the other girl's eyes, which made her feel oddly unsettled; what was it that Akane understood, and how was she looking right then, exactly what kind of feelings did her face convey to the world to make Akane give her that look?

"I-I…I don't know what…I'm sorry…" She mumbled, only half-aware of what she was even saying.

At that moment, though, she didn't get much more time to contemplate it, because Ryoga came out of the back room again. "Um…Ukyo? The dishes are done, what should I…?"

Her face red, she shook her head furiously. "You don't have to— I mean, there's nothing to do really, we've already, um…just take a break, okay?"

"Okay." Nodding, Ryoga went to grab himself some cold tea from the small refrigerator behind the grill. "So…uh…how are things, Akane?" He started somewhat hesitantly as he noticed that neither of the girls were talking.

"Oh." Akane seemed a little preoccupied as she answered. "I…things are fine, just fine. I mean, there haven't been any challenges lately and Ranma seems a bit bored, but then again, that means the house hasn't been wrecked in quite some time, which is a miracle, really, and I know especially dad is happy about _that_, so…yeah…"

Ryoga nodded; he worried about that household sometimes. Whenever he thought his own life was too weird, he'd think that it was all relative when he thought about them. However crazy your own life was, there was always somebody who had it crazier. "That's good."

"School's going great as of late, but I have to admit I'm kind of looking forward to when it's over." She smiled a little.

Ukyo nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I second that! I _long_ for the day when we won't have to deal with Principal Kuno or Miss Hinako!"

Akane crossed her fingers and screwed up her face in a mock-plea to the Heavens. "Only one more school year to go! Here's hoping!"

They chatted a bit more about school, and Ryoga, not really having anything to contribute with as he knew little of Furinkan school life, simply hung back and idly listened to them talking. It had been quite awkward seeing Akane again after that whole Gyoichi ordeal, and he'd just needed to get away for a moment so he could gather his wits. Now that he wasn't…pursuing Akane anymore, he had no reason to cuddle up to her as P-chan, and besides, he'd spent a lot of time over the last year or more thinking about the immoral circumstances of doing what he'd been doing, and the time had come to end it. He should've done it years ago— hell, he shouldn't have started it in the first place.

It had been very embarrassing to have to forcibly extract himself from Akane's grip, but what would Ukyo have thought if he'd just let himself be—

_Gods! Why can't someone just show up at the door tomorrow and say, "Hey, seeing as your life has sucked so badly up to now, we all pitched in, went to China and got you this tub full of Nannichuan! Hop in, the water's great!"_

…_or something like that, anyway._

He shook his head; one day he'd cure his curse…one day…

When Akane finally excused herself and left, Ryoga couldn't help but to feel a little relieved. He'd have to explain it all to her one day, and apologize…and hope she wouldn't kill him. Anything would be better than feeling almost paralyzed with guilt every time he saw her.

* * *

After closing time, Ukyo went up to her room to change into her yukata while Ryoga changed out of his work clothes in the bathroom.

When she was done changing, she walked to the door and pushed it open to go to the kitchen to start dinner, but stopped as she caught sight of the Furinkan high school uniform for girls, hanging on the front of her wardrobe door.

She'd spent most of her first and second year of school at Furinkan trying to decide whether or not to wear it regularly, she recalled. She did put it on once during second year, and was suddenly asked out by Hiroshi, Daisuke and at least two other boys in her class, but she wasn't interested in them, and she just didn't feel like herself when she was wearing it, so she never wore it again.

Also, she'd been very suddenly harassed by Kuno, carrying the biggest bouquet of roses she'd ever seen, which had been a _very_ valid reason not to wear it anymore. Apparently he was shallow enough not to have any interest in her when she was wearing a boy's uniform again.

She hadn't been thinking much about the dress this last year at Furinkan, however, so she had no idea why she'd left it on display in her room. It probably wouldn't even fit her anymore, what with the increase of her bust size and her hips that had started showing in her during the last months of her second year at Furinkan.

She had to wonder sometimes, though, if maybe she wasn't putting herself to waste, not wearing this school uniform. She'd certainly gotten more attention the other way. Sure, she wore her boy's uniform with the jacket open and a white top underneath, and she'd stopped wearing the chest bindings and exchanged them for bras and she'd stopped tying her hair in a low, boyish-style ponytail, but the fact of the matter was that she was still basically wearing a boy's uniform and she was still walking around with a giant spatula strapped to her back.

All through high school, Ukyo had found herself wondering from time to time what the other people at school thought about her; did they talk about her? If they did, what would they say? In particular, she wondered if the girls would comment on her style of clothing and laugh, if they would call her a moron behind her back for trying to compete with the likes of Akane and Shampoo for Ranma's attention…

"You don't have to wear that, you know."

Ukyo turned, surprised, and saw Ryoga standing in the doorway where she'd left the door open. He was wearing jeans again— probably his only pair, she thought, briefly amused— and his red T-shirt, as it was becoming too hot for wearing long sleeves indoors. His head was tilted as he regarded her with a somewhat concerned frown as he leaned on the door frame. From his expression, she had to wonder if she looked that _miserable_ or something.

"What?"

Ryoga gave her a one-shouldered shrug. "If you don't really want to wear it, I mean."

Ukyo laughed self-deprecatingly. "Yeah, I guess dresses don't suit me, huh?"

He shook his head solemnly. "It's not about if it suits you or not. It's just…I dunno…you don't have to conform to something that you feel you have to be just because…because somebody else says that's how you're supposed to be. Um…you know?"

Ukyo grinned lopsidedly, shaking her head at him. "School uniforms _are_ all about the conformity, Ryoga! That's the whole _point_!"

Ryoga reddened slightly and flapped a hand in dismissal. "Okay, just forget it, I…I was just trying to— you're fine the way you are, Ukyo! I look at all these girls in pastel-coloured, frilly things and I just can't imagine you ever—"

Ukyo eyebrows shot up; he'd been comparing her to other girls? "But that's the way girls are supposed to…I mean, wearing a school uniform for guys when you're a girl is just plain _weird_…right?"

Ryoga shrugged again, taking a few steps into the room. "Not for you."

Ukyo frowned at him sceptically. "You thought I was a _boy_ the first time you met me!"

He sighed; as he'd thought, she really had been more upset about that than she'd let on, and for the hundredth time he had to wonder just how deeply the emotional wounds of her past went. "My mistake," He admitted. "And besides, you don't wear your uniform like a boy anymore, and you don't _look_ like a boy! The point is that you _don't_ have to dress in a very certain way just to look like a girl."

"But Akane…!" Ukyo blurted.

He blinked, perplexed at the sudden turn the conversation was taking. "Akane? Why are you worried about Akane?"

"B-because _you_—"Ukyo clapped a hand across her mouth, her eyes wide; what in the world was she even saying? "I mean, she's…so popular…and cute…and Ran-chan…um…"

_I'm jealous,_ she realized; the truth of it came to her like a slap in the face. Being jealous of Akane was nothing new to her, but as for the reason behind the jealousy…well, that was definitely new.

When Ryoga had turned the colour of an egg plant at Akane's entrance, it was as if something inside of her had broken. It was like being five years old and being told that the oni at Setsubun was really just your uncle and a couple of your neighbours dressed up in stupid costumes. It was as if something she'd enjoyed believing in had all been a fancy little lie; sure, the oni were frightening, but they'd made life interesting.

She'd believed that maybe _someone_, and not just _anyone_, either, had found _her_ more interesting than Akane for once, and—

"D-do you really care about that? Being popular at school?" Ryoga asked tentatively. Was there some boy at school that she liked? Was that it? If Ukyo started dating someone, they probably wouldn't like him living with her and he might have to _leave_…! Ryoga found that his hands had fisted out of their own volition and that he had to force himself to relax; what had gotten into him?

She twisted her fingers in her hands, shrugging. "I don't know…"

"But school's nearly over, anyway, you said so yourself." Ryoga interjected.

Ukyo nodded slowly; popularity wasn't the point. That had just been a lame excuse. "I guess."

"I don't get why you feel the need to compare yourself to Akane." Ryoga frowned.

Ukyo scoffed. "Yeah, I'm no competition, right?"

Ryoga rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Jeez! And_ this_ coming from the person who's always telling _me _not to put myself down? You're just as cute as Akane! Maybe even cu—"He sucked in a breath and bit his tongue to choke down the words that had almost escaped him. _Maybe you're even cuter. Or maybe cute isn't even good enough of a description. Maybe you'd have to use stronger adjectives like— _

He didn't want to say it because she didn't need to hear his opinion, anyway; he wasn't some popular guy at school! Because it _would_ just be his opinion; to her mind, everybody else would still favour Akane. He couldn't stop himself from thinking it, though.

Ukyo fixed round, disbelieving eyes on him. Did he honestly think she was _cute_? "You're just saying that, right?"

Ryoga shook his head profusely as he pursed his lips, trying to keep his mouth shut.

"Well…" Ukyo said reluctantly. "I guess I have been getting a few looks lately…and there was this one guy in my class who asked me out last week…his name is Takeshi, I don't think you know him… "

"What did you tell him?" Ryoga blurted, his cheeks feeling as if they were on fire. The awful, sinking feeling in his heart made him oddly glad that he hadn't told her just what he thought of her appearance.

Ukyo drew a breath, looking at him as if she hadn't expected him to even ask. "Uh…I…well…I guess I said no."

And then in a split second, his heart was soaring into his throat. _She said **no**!_ Ryoga swallowed; why did he feel as if he'd just finished walking a path of burning hot coals on his bare feet and somebody had handed him a gazillion yen and a flask of Nannichuan for his troubles? "Oh?" He asked, feigning nonchalance. "Why?"

Ukyo blinked; why _had_ she said no? He was a very nice boy, not like some of those jerks from back home who only thought about the latest Hanshin Tigers game and how to get into a girl's underpants, so why? "Well…I guess this guy is nice and all, but he's just not…he's not…" **What**_ isn't he? Where was I even going with that sentence?_ "Uh…look, I just don't really like him like that, okay?" Feeling as if this wasn't enough, she added: "Besides, I don't have time for that stuff, right?"

Ryoga nodded enthusiastically. "Right!"

Truth be told, she'd been slightly zoned out the entire time Takeshi had been talking, for some reason staring fixedly at his teeth and trying very hard to figure out why they weren't pointier…and why his voice wasn't deeper and why he wasn't blushing a whole lot more. Then she'd remembered that she was almost out of pickled ginger at the restaurant and had to order more in time for the weekend rush, so she'd excused herself saying she was too busy but she was sure he was very nice and would make some girl very happy and why didn't he stop by the restaurant some time with his friends, but now she really had to go because she had simply so many things to do, you know how it is—

And she'd left. And she'd gone home, and she'd ordered the ginger and she'd done her homework and she'd sat down to dinner with Ryoga and had ended up never telling him about being asked out on a date at all because she'd completely forgotten about Takeshi— as if being asked out was something boring that happened to her on a regular basis or something— because she'd been too busy eating and talking and laughing and just generally feeling quite contented.

* * *

Ranma came to visit the day after Akane, which was a Saturday. It was during the slightly quieter time of the day in the restaurant, when the flow of customers would abate, when he and Ukyo would usually chat together as they straightened up the place a little, and Ryoga found himself getting a little edgy as Ranma sat down in front of the grill, as if he'd imposed on their private time.

"Hi, Ukyo," Ranma greeted her, and he seemed so cautious, nothing like his chipper ol' self; by that, Ryoga was reasserted that Ukyo would get hurt one day.

As Ranma greeted him, it was obvious that he was a little taken aback by the lost boy's presence in Ukyo's restaurant. "Uh, hey, Ryoga…" His eyebrows skyrocketed as he took in the okonomiyaki uniform that Ukyo had let him borrow; ever since she'd started the restaurant, she'd had two extra sets of uniforms— one for males and one for females— just in case she wanted to hire an assistant. His gaze travelled inquisitively to Ukyo's. "He working here now?"

Ukyo shrugged. "Looks like." Apparently Akane hadn't informed him of that little detail, for some reason. She'd have to ask her about that at school on Monday.

A careful grin tugged at Ranma's mouth, and he looked quite amused for a moment, but then he suddenly looked as if he'd just remembered some bad news he'd gotten word of, his grin fading. "Um…Ukyo…are you still angry?"

Ukyo exhaled slowly. "A little."

"I'm sorry." Ranma mumbled.

Ukyo put down the glass she'd been drying with a dish towel and looked at him. "Haven't seen you in a while. Outside of class, I mean."

"Yeah, um…" Ranma cleared his throat, looking down. "I thought I'd give you some time to…uh…"

"Calm down?" Ukyo said bluntly, smirking just slightly.

Ranma's eyes widened. "Well, um…"

"I'm sorry, too, I know I was a little…upset." Ukyo looked down at her hands, troubled; Ryoga found himself wanting to reach out and...and touch her, somehow, her hand, her arm, her back, anywhere that might make her feel better. He didn't do it; he imagined she would only think he was being weird. Even so, he just couldn't _stand_ to see her look sad, even a little. "You want some tea?" Ukyo asked then, finally lifting her gaze.

Ranma nodded, glad of the distraction. "Please."

As Ukyo got up to get him tea, Ryoga stepped in front of her and stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. Ukyo stared at him in surprise and he dropped his hand, looking a little startled. "Uh, I…I can get the tea." He offered quickly and went to do it before she could object. He just couldn't have her waiting on Ranma like that, not after all the freebies he'd gotten over the years and not after the fight they'd had.

As he went to give Ranma his tea, he saw the other boy biting his lip and looking even more uncomfortable. "Thanks, Ryoga." Ranma mumbled, giving him a curt nod.

Ranma had noticed that Ukyo hadn't started to prepare an okonomiyaki for him as usual and by this he gathered that she didn't want him to stay that long. He knew he was wrong to have mooched so much okonomiyaki from her in his time, but to be fair she'd always more or less thrown it at him— sometimes quite literally— and it had always seemed to make her happy in the past when he'd accepted her cooking, probably because she knew she could provide something for him that Akane couldn't, he suspected.

He had to admit that the almost otherworldly inability to cook was one of Akane's many faults, but who was he to talk? He had a crippling fear of cats, he was the worst card player in the world, he had all the tact and sensitivity of…well, his _father_ (though he personally felt he'd been getting better after getting to know Akane), he was a magnet to every insane martial artist out there (not to mention just mayhem and chaos in general), he ate like a horse, he was absolutely lousy at relationships of any kind, he always let his ego get the better of him and of course…he turned into a girl whenever it started raining or whenever someone saw fit to throw a bucket of water at him.

If Akane could accept his plethora of flaws, he had no problem accepting hers. Sure, she was violent, temperamental, clumsy and couldn't swim, cook or sow, but then again, she was also strong, brave, kind, loyal, honest, generous, considerate, did much better than him in school and of course…she was beautiful. She'd gotten better at cooking lately; she'd managed to make a good curry, after all, and besides, he himself could cook to a certain degree, and he supposed that there was no rule anywhere that said the woman had to cook.

There was just something about her that made virtually everybody like her…maybe because people could sense that Tendo Akane had no agenda, no angle; she was simply a nice person who'd talk to people for no other reason than because she wanted to talk to them. Also, there was the fact that though she might be tomboyish, Tendo Akane was a cute girl. In fact, if he didn't get his rear in gear soon, there was always the risk involved that somebody might snatch her up before he did.

Akane was an independent woman, and at some point she'd get tired of waiting for him.

But there were so many complications, and this was one of them. He glanced sadly at Ukyo, wondering how he'd ever manage to end the engagement without hurting her. How was it that he always managed to get himself into these kinds of situations? Granted, this particular problem had been his father's fault, but as for Shampoo and Kodachi and not to forget his rivals Mousse, Hibiki Ryoga and Kuno Tatewaki…those problems were all his own.

However, with the latest development…maybe Ryoga would forget about Akane? Glancing at Ryoga where he was tidying up behind the grill, his back to him, Ranma cleared his throat to get his attention. "So…um, how come you're working here now, Ryoga?"

To his surprise, he saw Ryoga's back tense up, the boy almost losing his grip on the bottle of yakisoba sauce he was holding. "None of your business, Ranma," He muttered in a strained voice, refusing to turn around, and as Ranma looked to Ukyo for some sort of explanation, Ranma saw that her eyes were a little bigger; she obviously hadn't expected this, either.

Ranma cleared his throat again, this time out of nervousness. "You're right, it's not." He was dying to know, but Ryoga had a point, and he knew that now was not the time to act intrusive, especially what with having hurt Ukyo's feelings and all. He downed the rest of the tea and got up, giving Ukyo a short bow. "Well, I better get back home. Thanks for the tea, Ukyo," He tried smiling a little at her, and felt uplifted when she returned it with a tentative smile of her own. "It was nice seeing you again. You, too, bacon butt!" He added quickly before turning on his heel and running out of the restaurant.

"RANMA!" Ryoga growled and leapt across the grill to follow his long-time rival, when he suddenly heard Ukyo laughing.

"What?" He skidded to a halt and looked at her curiously.

"Just…I gotta wonder when you two are ever gonna stop…you know?" Ukyo chuckled a little, wiping a hand across her eyes.

"Probably never, if it's up to him," Ryoga mumbled and shook his head as he walked slowly back to the grill.

"You know what? I just noticed that Ranma's stopped calling me Ucchan." Ukyo said off-handedly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he's just calling me Ukyo now…" She shrugged, looking somewhat wistful. "I guess it could be interpreted as a sign of respect…right?" She herself had tried cutting down on her use of the nickname "Ran-chan" in hope that he would take her more seriously. Had he noticed it?

Ryoga shrugged, too. "If only I were that lucky."

Ukyo laughed, "Yeah, it's better than 'bacon butt', at any rate!"

Ryoga cringed. "As long as _you_ don't start calling me that too, I have no complaints." He muttered, walking around the grill to continue tidying up a little. He was awfully quiet all of sudden as he stood idly wiping the counter even though it was already basically clean.

Ukyo regarded him curiously, taking in his suddenly sullen demeanour. "What's wrong?"

Ryoga looked up, slightly befuddled. "Nothing, I…I'm just…I'm kind of wondering about that too, you know?"

"About what?"

"Why _am_ I working here?"

Ukyo wavered. "You…you don't like it?"

"What?" This seemed to take him by surprise. "No, I do, it's just…why? I mean, I realize that what with…my curse and my bad sense of direction, I'm not exactly the most dependable employee, so…why?"

A week ago, or maybe two, this question would have been so easy to answer, but now, for some reason, she didn't quite know what to say. "Well…uh…I think you're a great help, really. With you around, I feel like I finally have some free time once in a while, and I don't feel like road kill by the end of the day, but…um…I just…I like having you here, I guess. It's just nice not to be alone for once…you know? I just really like…"

…_you._ She almost said.

"I like having you around, I like spending time with you, it's…nice." By the end of her somewhat incoherent speech, Ukyo realized she was fidgeting and that Ryoga's stare felt like a spotlight on her. She looked down at her feet instead, which relieved some of the pressure on her, and as she kept talking, for a minute or two she slipped into a sort of reverie, just seemed to forget he was there.

"It's like…before, on Saturday nights, when I'd lock up the shop after everybody had gone home, I'd feel happy for just a brief moment, you know? Happy that the working day was done and that I could finally relax…but then I'd go up to my apartment and it would be empty and quiet and I didn't quite know what to do with myself.

I mean, I could have dinner and then read a little or watch some TV and probably I'd have some school assignment to finish up— there's always something to _do_, that's not the _point_! I just felt really restless, you know, after watching all those groups of friends and couples going out for dinner on a Saturday night and I sat there, alone, just wondering about where they were right then, if they'd gone out to a movie, maybe, or maybe dancing or to karaoke or even just back home to have a chat and a few drinks, something like that, and I just thought…why am I sitting here alone on a Saturday night with nothing better to do than homework?"

Ukyo shuffled her feet a little and shrugged. "Now, though, it doesn't even matter if I stay home because I'm not alone. Last Saturday I was locking up the store and I looked up and there you were and you smiled at me and I just knew it'd be a nice evening. It didn't matter if we didn't really do anything special, because we were tired anyway, and you're good company and you're nice because you treat me with respect and you talk to me as if I'm an interesting person, so…you just make me feel good about myself, that's all. And at night it's as if I feel almost…safer because you're here…I dunno, I just sleep better."

She frowned a little, finally looking up. "I don't care if you have a Jusenkyo curse and no sense of direction; you're a good employee. I've hardly seen you look depressed since you started working here and that makes _me_ happy." She smiled a little. "I've even discovered that you have a sense of humour!" Ukyo laughed softly. "Surprised _me_, anyway!"

Ryoga swallowed, shaken to the core by all the things she'd just revealed to him. "I…I don't know what to say."

"Huh?" Ukyo halted. Had she been talking for so long that something inappropriate had slipped in unnoticed among all of her babble?

"I…I didn't even know that you…uh, I know we're friends, but I didn't think you thought about me…I mean, I didn't think I meant much at all…" He raised a trembling hand to brush his bangs out of his eyes. "Nobody's ever taken such an interest in me before." He looked at her shyly. "Nobody's ever accepted me like this before…"

Ukyo blinked, and then felt her face heat up. "I-I…I don't, uh, I mean, I do, but it's…um…" Before she knew it, he'd walked up to her, reaching out for her and looking for all the world like he was just about to wrap her up in a hug. Freezing up on the spot, she could do nothing but stare at him. What was he _doing_? She'd never expected him to— he was so shy and jumpy about physical contact, so why was he…?

"Ryoga…" The tone in her voice scared the living daylights out of her as his name escaped her lips. What the hell was that almost _longing_ note supposed to—

The way she said his name seemed to have had the same effect on Ryoga, because he lowered his arms and bolted a good five feet away from her, staring back at her and blinking, disoriented. His mouth opened and shut a few times and it was clear he had no idea what to say.

"Ryoga?" This time she sounded hesitant.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what…why…um…" He shook his head in defence, looking horrified.

"Welcome to Ucchan's!" Ukyo exclaimed suddenly, and Ryoga spun around to see a group of university students filing in through the front door. As Ukyo showed the customers to their seats and took their orders, something that was usually _his_ job, Ryoga realized that she'd been just as frightened by the strange moment as he, and he was glad that it had passed.

* * *

After the last few customers had left and they had finished cleaning up the restaurant, Ryoga went outside to sweep the street in front of Ucchan's. As he pushed the broom back and forth and around, listening to the soft scratching noises the bristles made, he became preoccupied with thoughts of how he'd almost hugged Ukyo.

Why did he do that? Sure, she'd said some nice things to him…okay, _amazing_ things, but that didn't give him a reason to— he should've just said thanks or something, right? Or if he ever _did_ hug her, he should wait for _her_ to take the initiative…right?

He suddenly noticed that a shadow had fallen across the small heap of dust, weeds and trash he'd accumulated; upon looking up, he noticed Ranma standing there.

"What're you doing back here again?"

"Kinda wanted to talk to you, that's all." Ranma said easily, cocking his head to one side.

Ryoga regarded him warily. "I haven't learned any new techniques lately, you know."

"Oh-kaaay…" Ranma blinked. "I haven't _either_. What's your point?"

Setting his broom aside, Ryoga straightened and looked at the other boy through slightly narrowed eyes. "My _point_ is…what do you want?"

"I told you," Ranma raised his eyebrows. "I wanna talk."

Ryoga sighed in irritation. "About _what_?"

Ranma cleared his throat. "Well, for one, you haven't been around to see Akane lately."

Despite himself, Ryoga grinned a bit. "And you're _complaining_?"

Ranma reddened a little, but shook his head. "Nah, just wanna know why, I guess. I mean, you're here, you're in Nerima, and you've been hanging around for an unusually long while, so it seems weird that you haven't visited yet."

Ryoga let out a long-suffering breath and went to gather up the little pile and throw it in the trash. When he was done, Ranma was still standing there, waiting for his answer. Damn, but that boy just wouldn't let something go, would he? Okay, then…maybe it was time to settle this once and for all.

"You wanna know if you've lost a rival, is that it?" Ryoga asked dryly, looking him in the eye.

"Uh…I…" Ranma frowned at him, looking a bit worried now.

"Akane…" Ryoga looked down, swallowed and started over. "Akane only wants to be friends." He looked up sharply, meeting Ranma's gaze. "You were there, you heard it. She doesn't like me like that, and some stupid plan isn't gonna change that."

Of course Ranma remembered it, how could he not? When Akane's voice had echoed around the crater created by Ryoga's Shi Shi Hokodan, telling Ryoga that she actually liked him, it had felt as if his heart was being compressed; he'd felt a punch in his chest far more powerful than that of being hit by the wave of heavy ki before. He'd been on his knees, almost beaten, and he'd been _so_ close to just giving up, just letting himself _be_ beaten until there had come that blessed clarification— _"Let's be friends forever, Ryoga!" _

"Ryoga…" Ranma was still looking wretched and that only made it feel worse; Ryoga didn't need his pity. He knew he was probably saying too much and that he was going to regret it, but the words just kept on pushing at the back of his throat, demanding to be let out.

Ryoga chuckled self-deprecatingly. "You know what the worst thing about admitting this is? It's not because I'm so sad and depressed because she's not in love with me, because I know that she cares about me and that she's my friend and all, but— and I've asked myself this a _lot_ over the years— I don't really _know _her, do I? I mean, I'm always gone for so long at a time and I only ever bump into her by chance and talk to her for about five minutes or so before something crazy happens or I get lost again, so how can I be in love with someone I hardly ever see?" He asked rhetorically, staring not at Ranma but at the skyline over the roofs of the farthest houses that were visible.

"Was I ever even really in love with her to begin with? I have no idea!" Ryoga clenched his fists. "Most of the time I had to wonder if I was only using her as a reason to keep going, as some sort of goal, and because she was the only one who was ever nice to me, I guess I could always look forward to seeing her again each time I passed through here, but as for love…" Ryoga paused and shook his head, trying to think this through. He hadn't exactly been prepared to make this speech tonight. He'd played with the thought of attempting to explain it all to Ukyo to get it off his chest, but he hadn't seemed to be able to find the words with which to explain it, and besides, she hadn't asked. Ranma, he realized now, was the one who actually _needed_ to hear this, anyway, not Ukyo.

Akane had always been his motivation on the many lonesome journeys, but that was just the trouble. As often as he was away from her, the memory of her was always slightly foggy, and his lonely, tired mind would piece together what he could remember, and thus Akane's image was glorified on his retina, her gentle smile restraining his impulses to give up. She became more of a notion than a real person, more of a concept of beauty and innocence. And of course, the thought of stealing her from Ranma, that unworthy, rude slob, had also kept him going. The one thing he'd also liked about Akane was the fact that at times she had seemed to dislike Ranma almost as strongly as _he_ did.

_Just goes to show how wrong you can be... _

Each time he saw her, Ryoga told himself she was just like he'd pictured; of course she never really was, but he really only ever saw her in brief glimpses at a time, and only had short conversations with her, because they were always interrupted by his own shyness or by Ranma, who never seemed to be far from Akane, so all this time her goddess-like image in his mind was kept up, because he never really got to know her as an ordinary person; always like some beautiful thing that was slightly out of reach. Time after time, Ryoga was met with Akane's sweet smile and the eyes which told him that she was completely oblivious to his cry for affection.

Then suddenly he'd realized that he'd fallen prey to one of the biggest clichés of all time; he'd been in love with the _idea_ of being in love. To always have someone to think about with fondness and to strive for had been his driving force; were he faced with a difficult mountain to climb or a seemingly endless forest to trudge through, he'd say "I'm doing it for you, Akane" and it'd help take his mind off of the strenuous physical effort. Though he hadn't been truly in love with Akane, he was grateful to her; the imagined crush on her was probably one of the things that had kept him alive out there. He knew how self-destructive he could be if he didn't have confidence or hope to keep him upright. Akane was one of the few people he knew who had shown him kindness.

Ryoga shook his head. "I would always think, when faced with a challenge, that I was doing it for Akane, but what was the use? She'd never know about it, anyway, and she sure wouldn't lose any sleep over wondering where I was!" He sighed. "She's sweet to me and she's cute and a nice person, but she could be _anyone_…you know? I feel like I just clung on to this image of her as my "true love" because she was the first girl who showed me affection…the first girl to kiss me…but at those times she didn't even know it was _me_ because of the curse!" Gritting his teeth, he glanced at Ranma, who was looking increasingly shocked and even a little panicked; he'd never been very good at handling people's feelings.

"I don't know her," He repeated in a quiet voice. "I don't even know what her favourite food or her favourite colour is or what her dreams for the future are or any of that stuff, and she probably knows even _less_ about me! We could be completely incompatible for all I know, but I never thought about that because I was desperate for affection. Why else would I turn on a dime every time I saw another chance at love?" He scoffed, shaking his head at himself. "So, yeah…the worst thing about admitting this is that I feel like I've just lost another contest with you. A very long, stupid and hurtful contest, but a contest nonetheless… and not because she doesn't love me like that."

"Ryoga?" Ranma hazarded; this had been a lot for him to take in all at once, and it couldn't have been any easier for Ryoga, who'd been the one actually admitting it. "Are you okay?"

"Actually?" Ryoga chuckled a little. "You know what's kind of _funny_?"

"No…?" Ranma asked apprehensively.

"I don't think I've _ever_ felt this okay." Ryoga smiled faintly.

Ranma stared at him; he'd given up on Akane, and still he felt okay? Then again, he'd just confessed that he wasn't in love with her; it was just that Saotome Ranma couldn't imagine someone being able to just _stop_ being in love with Tendo Akane— unless…they'd never been in love to begin with…

"Ryoga?"

The sudden voice coming from the restaurant door made both boys turn their heads. "Yes?" Ryoga replied as Ukyo regarded the two of them in bewilderment. "Ranma? What's going on? Is something wrong?"

Ranma shook his head vehemently, putting both hands up in a placating manner. "No, no, nothing's wrong, I just came to talk to Ryoga for a while."

Shooting Ranma a searching look, Ukyo then turned to Ryoga. "I'm starting dinner now, Sugar. Are you boys done talking or should I wait a while?"

Ranma's eyes widened; he not only worked here, but ate _dinner_ here as well? "Uh…" He glanced at Ryoga curiously. The other boy just shrugged. "I think we were about done, right, Ranma?"

Ranma nodded slowly. "Right…"

"Okay. See you at school, Ranma," Ukyo smiled at him and disappeared back into the restaurant.

"See ya!" Ranma called after her.

As Ryoga gathered up the broom and dustpan, Ranma took the chance to grab his sleeve. "Hey, Ryoga?"

"What?" Ryoga replied, sounding less annoyed than earlier.

"What's Ukyo's favourite food?"

"Homemade pumpkin curry," Ryoga answered automatically before he could think twice about it. "Hey, why do you wanna know?" He added suspiciously.

"Huh." Ranma looked mystified; she'd never told _him_ that. "I always just figured it was okonomiyaki."

Ryoga nodded; he'd thought so too before Ukyo had told him pumpkin curry was her favourite. At his baffled look, she'd replied that just because okonomiyaki was her favourite thing to _cook_, it wasn't necessarily her favourite thing to _eat_. "She probably gets enough of that at work, anyway, right?" Ryoga wrinkled his nose a little.

"Right." Ranma grinned knowingly; old Pork Buns had just unintentionally told him what he'd come here to figure out in the first place. He knew what was going on now! "Well, your dinner awaits!"

"Goodbye." Ryoga sent Ranma's suddenly too wide and too self-content grin a strange look before going back inside and closing the door behind him.

"What in the world was _that _all about?" He muttered to himself as he padded through the restaurant.

Ukyo appeared at the top of the stairs, grinning down at him. "Greetings! I have come to guide you on your perilous journey up the stairs and into the kitchen!"

Ryoga groaned at the lame joke. "Very funny!"

Ukyo shrugged and put on a theatrical expression of mock-modesty. "I try, Hibiki…I try."

Ryoga had to stop and just look at her up there for a moment, a small smile appearing on his face.

"So, what's with the cat-that-ate-the-canary expression?"

Ukyo looked pleased at that, and gave him that smile that always made her look like she knew a really good secret. "Well, you just won't _believe_ how much cash we raked in today! I think it was that group of business men that came in during the last hour that did it!"

Ryoga laughed as he climbed the stairs. "Are you channelling Nabiki, or what?"

"Shut up!" Ukyo pouted, swatting him on the shoulder as they walked down the hallway to the kitchen.

Saotome Ranma, jogging home alone, simply couldn't stop grinning to himself.

* * *

"I'm getting worried about ruining your reputation," Ryoga told her unexpectedly as he was returning from the kitchen, carrying drinks for them.

"What?" Ukyo threw over her shoulder, busy looking at the news. Dinner was done with, the dishes had been cleared away and they'd moved to the couch in her room to watch the evening news as per usual, and when he went to get them some ice tea, the thought had occurred to him as he'd absentmindedly watched the liquid pour into the glasses.

Ryoga came into the living room, ice cubes rattling with each step. "Your reputation," he repeated, hesitating a bit now as she turned away from the TV, giving him her full attention. "I mean…won't it be ruined by me living here? You know, the whole 'two unmarried people living together' thing? People might misunderstand…" He frowned a little as he handed her the glass, remembering about her tale of the boy who'd asked her out. Would other boys refrain from doing so if they knew about him living there?

Ukyo was simply staring at him now, which prompted him to further explain himself. "I…uh…I know that some of the Furinkan students come here, so…do they ever bother you with questions and stuff? About me?" Now both Ranma and Akane knew, and he couldn't keep from wondering what she thought about that, or if she thought anything about it at all.

Ukyo laughed. "You're such a gentleman to worry about that, Ryoga!" Ryoga made an exaggerated bow, like a cartoon stage actor, and she giggled even more, but when he straightened again, he was still looking quite troubled. Ukyo blinked; he really was serious about this, wasn't he? "Nabiki's probably spread the gossip all over Nerima by now, but I wouldn't worry about it, that sort of thing dies down." She tried reassuring him.

Ryoga was about to choke on his ice tea. Were people _gossiping_ about them? What would Akane and Ranma think? And how could he best restore Ukyo's honour? But then he noticed the look on her face.

"People have been talking behind my back for most of my life, and it doesn't bother me." She insisted. "It's just gossip."

Ryoga stared at her. That expression; it was as if she was remembering something, and was greatly affected by the memory of it, but doing her best to actually _force_ the emotions from her face...

"Why?" It was all Ryoga could think of to say under the circumstances.

Ukyo shrugged, her expression grim. "I was different, I guess. A girl dressing as a boy and all that. When people found out about it, they generally avoided me. And there was the fact that Ranma and Genma had run off and left me behind, and that somehow that made me...I dunno, lower than them. They said I'd never find a husband. It's kinda bizarre, really. I mean, six year old girls gossiping about an engagement like a bunch of old biddies? Things like that shouldn't be important when you're six..." Ukyo said in a hollow voice, devoid of anger.

"No, they shouldn't..." Said Ryoga, absorbing her gloomy mood like a sponge as his own childhood memories came back to haunt him. He sat down heavily on the couch next to her.

"And then it just continued into high school." She added darkly. "I was always good for a laugh, it seemed."

"Why did you dress up as boy, Ukyo?" He asked gently, not looking to upset her any further.

She shot him a brief, somewhat shy glance before she looked away, fixing her gaze on the wall. "I don't know. I guess I didn't want to be a girl anymore after being abandoned by a boy and his father like that." Again she shrugged. "It made sense at the time, and I guess the habit just stuck by me until I could have my revenge. Also…it was kind of a relief, really, not having to be picked up by boys all the time like the other girls. Except for Tsubasa, I didn't have any unwanted suitors. I just didn't want that kind of attention. I couldn't handle it, even from the nice boys. And each time I heard some of the boys at the school I went to having their locker room talks about girls, I lost even more faith in boys."

Ryoga sat his glass down and looked worriedly at her. Did she still think all men were creeps? Was that why she'd turned Takeshi down? "Look, Ukyo, I've seen and heard things on my journeys and talked to men who have made me shocked and disgusted, men with no sensitivity, no honour, no respect, but there are many people who _aren't_ like that, and I—"

Ukyo smiled wearily. "I know, Sugar. The boys at school weren't _all _jerks, and the ones who _were_— well, I know that most of the boys were very young and probably didn't know what they were talking about or didn't quite mean it…they were probably just trying to seem all tough and cool. And as it turned out, Ranma wasn't half the bastard I'd pictured; he's actually a pretty nice guy. He's very sweet, really, and courageous, and I know he cares for me, he just has a knack for getting into trouble and for putting his foot in his mouth."

Although hearing Ukyo praising Ranma like that was about as fun and comfortable as somebody sticking a q-tip much too far into his ear— and made him wince just as much— Ryoga had to admit that she might have a point or two. He nodded reluctantly. "I guess Ranma is more innocent than people think, but he does often do stupid things without thinking about the consequences. He needs to work on his people skills, that's for sure, especially when it comes to girls."

"Oh-ho!" Ukyo laughed, highly amused. "He's not the _only_ one who has trouble talking to girls!" Ukyo smirked teasingly and ruffled his hair. She liked doing that; there was just so much of it to ruffle.

Ryoga made an attempt at smoothing his hair down again and glared at her. "Yeah, well...at least I don't go insulting girls left and right like _he_ does!"

She chuckled, "Don't worry, Ryoga, you're a nice guy. In fact, you're one of the guys who've made me regain my faith in the other gender. You showed me that there really _are_ some nice boys out there."

Ryoga stared at her in awe. "R-really?"

Ukyo nodded. "Uh-huh. You, Ranma…and Mousse too, now that I come to think of it." She said, looking a bit puzzled at herself. "The way he's devoted to Shampoo, it just kills me. He's so sweet to her, he loves her so much, and he'd sacrifice anything to have her love him back. It's just so tragic, you know, like one of those sappy, epic stories on TV about unrequited love. I didn't think they actually _made_ guys like that in real life! He should try living for himself once in a while, and maybe then he'd like his life better." She shook her head, smirking briefly before turning serious again, her brows knitting together as if she was about to admit to something she didn't like admitting to.

"I feel kind of sorry for _her_, too, though." Ukyo confessed, glancing at him. "…Shampoo, I mean….even though she's not exactly my favourite person in the world, and I know she doesn't love him that way, I can tell she feels worse about constantly turning him down than she lets on." She added.

At the mention of the two other boys, Ryoga was surprised to find that he was feeling kind of disappointed, as if he'd had to share a first prize or something, but he quickly rallied. "Yeah," He agreed, nodding absently. "All he ever talks about is her." He felt sorry for Mousse, too, now that Ukyo was describing the male Amazon's situation, but he hadn't ever really given it much thought before. Despite some of the adventures they'd had together, he didn't actually know Mousse very well, and besides, during the almost going on two years he'd been mixed up with the Nerima Wrecking Crew, he'd been too busy feeling sorry for himself for various reasons to feel sorry for someone he hardly knew.

"Anyway, Ryoga," Ukyo went on casually, "Like I said, there's nothing to fear about my reputation. I'm not bothered by gossip. Besides, who'd _ever_ really think that we were a couple, anyway, unless Nabiki was running around flashing them manipulated photos of us or something?"

To his own shock, this comment stung Ryoga quite harshly. "_…who'd **ever** really think…?"_ _She didn't have to put it like **that**, did she?_ What did she mean, that he wasn't _worthy_? That no one, least of all _she_, would ever want to be his girlfriend? "Is it really all that ridiculous?" He asked, his voice made hard to cover up the underlying sadness.

Ukyo gave him a bewildered look. "What?"

"You and me being a couple? Why would no one believe it?" He muttered, knowing that he probably shouldn't be pursuing the subject, but overwhelmed by his own insecurities; he _had_ to know her opinion of him.

Ukyo suddenly felt they were moving out of their depths. "Uh…oh, sorry, Ryoga, I didn't mean it like _that_, like you're not…that it's…um, it's just…I don't think anyone's considered it before. Do you? I mean, no one looks at us and thinks, um, and thinks like…" She paused, then but on a stupid, deep voice with faux bravado, obviously pretending to be one of the boys at school.

"Oh, wow, that Ryoga and Ukyo, now there's, uh, now _there's_ a romance just waiting to happen…um, you know?" She finished lamely. Of course someone at school gossiping about them hooking up would use _much_ cruder terms than "romance", but she didn't want to make this even more awkward by mentioning anything having to do with sex. She didn't quite like the direction in which the conversation was moving, and she didn't like the fact that Ryoga thought that she was insulting him like that. How could he _think_ that? Didn't he _trust_ her?

"I meant no offence, Ryoga."

Normally, she would have patted him on the back or something to reassure him, but now she felt as if this would somehow be inappropriate. She'd been having weird thoughts about him ever since he'd moved in with her, or maybe even before that, and weird reactions to things he said or that other people said to her _about_ him, and she suddenly really, really did _not_ want to discuss this kind of thing with him or _anyone_.

She caught her mind drifting towards things associated with exactly that— couples— and was horrified to find that it really wasn't all that difficult to see herself with him, not only shopping, cooking, cleaning, eating, watching TV together and talking— they did all those things anyway, all of those so-called couply things, so that didn't bother her— but that her mind could also quite readily conjure up fleeting images of them holding hands, hugging, kissing and _touching each other in, in…uh, **places**_! And that was _badbadbad_…! It shouldn't be so _easy_ to picture that!

"Okay, Ukyo. I'm sorry, I guess I just misunderstood." Ryoga said reluctantly, wondering why he'd felt so hurt by the comment. Why should he care if people thought they were a couple or not? Why should he care if Ukyo dated a boy at school or not? Why should he care if she secretly laughed at the idea of them getting together? His train of thought only got as far as a pathetic—

_Because…!_

—for an answer before it derailed, and then he couldn't think straight at all, only sense some strange, confused feelings of frustration and inadequacy, perhaps in part because he had no words with which to describe what he was feeling, even to himself.

All he knew was that his eyes were fixed upon her lips now and that they were almost overpowered by his brain to travel down her throat, across her collar bone and to the swell of her bre— he managed to steer his own eyes back to her eyes somehow, and silently thanked his ancestors or whoever it was who had granted him this small mercy. Why had he even been as dumb as to start this conversation in the first place? Why had he felt the _need_ to?

"As for me," Ukyo continued, and he noticed that she was now, for some reason he couldn't quite fathom, looking quite flustered. "My life is complicated enough even without considering what people are gossiping about me!"

Ryoga nodded solemnly. "You've got a point there…" Oh, gods, did she ever have a point! He'd always thought, or rather hoped, that life would get less difficult as he grew older, but it seemed that it was in fact the complete opposite of this that was the case.

Wanting to _hug_ Ukyo was only the beginning of his troubles.

In the silence that followed, Ukyo felt the need to turn up the volume of the background chatter of the TV news and reached for the remote; it only helped very marginally in breaking the awkward atmosphere in room. She was looking straight at the screen, she realized after a few minutes, yet she had no idea what was going on; she seemed to be looking right _through_ the figures on the screen, they seemed blurry even, and the things they were saying simply went in one ear and out the other.

Hazarding a hasty glance over at Ryoga, she saw that he was leaning forward, but that he, too, didn't seem to be paying any attention to what was happening onscreen. He had this troubled, intense stare that seemed to be directed somewhere a few inches above the screen; he was simply gazing into thin air.

For a moment, she considered just turning the TV off since neither of them were actually following the program anyway, but if she did that, it might mean they'd have to go to bed, and why was the prospect of that suddenly making her very, very disturbed?

They ended up staring silently at the TV for another hour, neither saying a word.

The midnight movie came on. It was some weird, low-budget eighties thing with people in rubber octopus suits portraying aliens whose main point of existence appeared to be trying to kill people by flailing their spongy, grey arms very ineffectively about and trying to keep the audience from catching a glimpse of the zippers in the backs of their costumes. It had been advertised as a horror film, which proved to be very false advertising indeed. This was comedy gold. As the opening credits had rolled, they'd automatically exchanged a _what-in-the-world-is-this_ kind of look and had started to chuckle and scoff disbelievingly; this had fortunately served to break most of the tension between them.

After their initial burst of laughter had died down, Ryoga had something on his mind. "Ukyo…?"

"Yeah?" Ukyo tore her gaze from the bizarre events onscreen, turning slightly to glance at him.

There was a pause before Ryoga spoke again, and when he did, his voice sounded a little off. "Who's Tsubasa?"

Ukyo couldn't help it, and laughed again. It was just so out of the blue! Surely that wasn't what he'd been sitting there thinking about? "That's a long story, Hibiki!"

"We've got time." Ryoga suggested, prompting her carefully. "Tomorrow's Sunday."

Ukyo regarded his slightly ducked head and dancing eyes. Why, if she didn't know any better, she'd think he was _jealous_ or something! "Okay," she agreed, and they settled in for a night of Attack of The Octopus People and the tale of Kurenai Tsubasa.

About twenty minutes later, they got up to make popcorn.

* * *

**Author's note:** Phew! This has definitely been the chapter for all the big speeches! Stay tuned for chapter five! Ryoga and Ukyo go to Osaka!

And before you ask…no, Tsubasa isn't going to appear in the next chapter, or any of them. Not because I don't like him, but because he gave up on Ukyo a long time ago and has no function in this story. He was basically a one-shot character in the manga, it seemed. I never saw him before or after his introduction story.

Attack of The Octopus People is a parody of the really bad late night B-movie we get to see a clip of in Gremlins 2: The New Batch. I don't know if it's an actual movie or not.

**Nichijou Seikatsu:** Everyday life.

**Yakisoba:** Fried noodles cooked with stuff like cabbage and a few other vegetables, a little meat and yakisoba sauce. You can also sprinkle some pickled ginger and dried fish flakes on top, if you like. This is a very common dish at okonomiyaki restaurants, and very delicious. Ukyo used giant, rubber yakisoba noodles in her big fight with Ranma when she first came to get her revenge.

**Kata:** Kata (literally: "form") is a word describing detailed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pairs. Kata are used in many traditional Japanese arts such as theatre forms like kabuki and schools of tea ceremony (chado), but are most commonly known for the presence in the martial arts. (Source: Wikipedia)

**Hanshin Tigers:** One of the popular Nippon Professional Baseball teams based in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, which are in the Central League. The Hanshin Electric Railway owns the Tigers directly. Formerly known as the Osaka Tigers. (Source: Wikipedia).

**Oni: **Demon, devil, evil spirit.

**Setsubun: **"Dividing of the seasons". Spring Setsubun celebrates the beginning of spring. It has been celebrated in many ways, but perhaps the most common custom found throughout Japan is the traditional _Mame Maki_ or the scattering/throwing of beans (_mame_) to chase away the evil _oni_. In some ritual forms, the _Toshi Otoko_ literally "year man" but referring either to the "man of the house" or to men who are born in the animal sign of the coming year (dog for the year 2006) will throw _mame_ within the house or at someone perhaps dressed as _oni_ and repeat the saying _Oni ha Soto; Fuku ha Uchi_ (Evil Out! Good Luck In!). After the ritual throwing of the beans, family members may then pick up the number of beans corresponding to their age; eating these brings assurance of good fortune in the coming year. These days, of course, it is not uncommon to see children dressed in _oni_ masks, others madly throwing beans, and all gleefully shouting for evil to hit the road. (Source: Google).

PS: Homemade Japanese pumpkin curry really _is_ very tasty!

* * *


	5. Michi Ni Mayotta

**Omiyage: Michi Ni Mayotta**  
By Ninnik Nishukan

* * *

One day it dawned on Ryoga that he hadn't even mentioned going back to his own house _once_ since he'd started working at Ucchan's.

Ever since they'd gone to the park that one day, he'd been indoors a _lot_.

He did katas in Ukyo's backyard and he went outside every night to sweep the pavement and take down the banners—

"_Don't you go wandering off to Yokohama or something! Just take **two** steps outside and then **stop**, okay, Hibiki?"_

—and she'd taken him shopping whenever she needed his help with carrying the groceries, but other than that, he'd basically stayed inside her restaurant and her apartment during these last four weeks or so.

He had a _job_ now, and he knew he had to be responsible, but it was starting to get just a little humiliating, having her be forced to constantly guard him like a sheepdog so he wouldn't get lost. Besides, even though he mostly complained about having to walk and walk for days or weeks on end because of his directional problem, Hibiki Ryoga was beginning to feel a little restless. He just wasn't used to staying indoors for this long.

There was more than enough to do, it wasn't that, but he really needed to stretch his legs again. Ukyo always had a lot of ideas for fun stuff they were supposed to go out and do, but those things mostly ended up never getting done because things were so hectic, especially since Ukyo had to take her driver's license test soon. Besides, he wasn't really interested in going out for dinner or going to the movies or something, he just wanted to…to _walk_.

Lately, her attitude towards him had become sort of oddly _soft_, sort of comfortable, more lenient, more forgiving— especially outside of work. He was in a good place right now, and the thought of wandering away from it all scared him. Nevertheless, he needed to be able to move a little.

This was why he approached Ukyo on an early Saturday morning and asked if they could take a walk before they had to open the shop later.

"I'm beginning to feel a little cooped up…" He explained, hoping she'd understand.

Ukyo looked stunned. "Oh, jeez, sorry— I should've realized, shouldn't I? Where do you want to go?"

"Well," Ryoga said slowly, considering. "I guess we could go and take my dog for a walk."

"You have a _dog_?"

* * *

As they walked to Ryoga's house, he told her all about his dog Shirokuro and all the puppies she'd had. Unfortunately they'd had to give the puppies away to his parents' friends and Shirokuro herself to their next door neighbour, Miss Maeda Eriko, who didn't mind because she lived alone.

When they rang the door bell to Maeda's house, it instantly triggered manic barking from inside the house. Ukyo saw Ryoga smiling expectantly, and he looked downright _joyful_ when Maeda, a tall, elegant woman in her late thirties, finally opened the door and Shirokuro came up bouncing and barking behind her.

"Shirokuro! Down!" Maeda scolded the dog mildly as she hung on to the dog collar.

"Good afternoon, Miss Maeda." Ryoga grinned.

"Oh! Ryoga! Long time, no see!" Maeda said happily as she recognized her neighbour, letting Shirokuro loose to meet her owner.

"Hey, Shirokuro!" Ryoga greeted his dog, obviously enjoying the affection Shirokuro was showering him with, jumping up to be petted, trying to lick his palms. Ukyo giggled; she'd never seen Ryoga like this, all playful and full of fondness and not afraid to show it.

"Maeda Eriko, this is Kuonji Ukyo," Ryoga introduced them. "Kuonji Ukyo, this is Maeda Eriko."

"Oh!" Maeda seemed surprised again; if Ukyo knew Ryoga right, it was probably because she'd never seen him with a girl before— or maybe she'd never even seen him with _anyone_ before? "It's nice to meet you, Ukyo."

Ukyo shook hands with Maeda as Ryoga tried to keep Shirokuro from drowning him in doggy slobber. "Nice to meet you."

"Did you meet your parents, Ryoga?" Maeda asked, smiling hopefully.

Ryoga froze, then, looking like he thought he'd heard her wrong. "What?"

Maeda's face fell. "Oh, sweetie, don't _tell_ me…don't tell me you just _missed_ them?"

Ukyo frowned with curiosity. "What's wrong?"

"Ryoga," Maeda said hesitantly, not quite sounding like she believed her own words. "I'm sure they'll turn up…"

"They— they were _here_?" Ryoga looked at Maeda with huge, despairing eyes, his voice trembling. "When?"

Maeda looked like she'd rather not tell him. "They left a-about fifteen minutes ago," She pressed out miserably.

Groaning, Ryoga clutched his head. "They could be _anywhere_ by now!" He felt his knees go weak, overwhelmed with the unfairness of it all. He hadn't seen his parents in over a _year_, and here he'd been _so_ close to seeing them without even knowing it! His mind went wild with plausible scenarios, blaming himself; if only he'd gotten up an hour earlier like Ukyo had, if only he'd eaten his breakfast faster, showered faster—

When she saw how Ryoga was reacting to the bad news, Ukyo knew she had to do something. Clearing her throat, she took a step forward. "Excuse me, Miss Maeda? May we please borrow Shirokuro for an hour or two?" She asked politely.

"Of course!" Maeda said absently, clasping her hands as she looked emphatically at Ryoga, who was staring despairingly into space. If she'd lived here for a few years, it was possible that Maeda seen this kind of thing before, Ukyo thought sadly, maybe even when Ryoga was just in grammar school.

When they'd gotten Shirokuro's leash from Maeda and she'd waved goodbye, Ukyo gently lead the speechless Ryoga away.

* * *

Shirokuro was trying to lick her owner's hands to get his attention again, but whimpered pitifully as there was no response. Ukyo felt sorry for the dog, especially since she sort of felt like whimpering, herself. This had to be the most depressed she'd _ever _seen Ryoga!

As he sat there on the park bench, his body slumped sort of forward as if he had no energy left, it was like he was looking not _at_ the ground, but right _through_ it. The thousand yard stare, her father always called it.

Seeing, but unseeing.

And it was making her really, really worried. "Ryoga?" She asked, not liking how tiny her own voice sounded. "Are you all right?"

He didn't answer. Tentatively, she placed a hand on his shoulder, pushing at him gently to make him react. "Are you _all right_?" She repeated anxiously.

"No." He finally replied dully, and she felt her chest constrict. Even if he obviously _wasn't_ all right, she still hadn't expected him to answer that question in the negative.

"Ryoga—"She began appealingly, desperate to cheer him up. This was bad, this was just so—

"I'm so _sick_ of this!" He roared, then, taking her completely by surprise as he went from lifeless to enraged in two seconds flat. "I never _see_ them! They might as well be _dead_!" He was starting to glow, now, multi-coloured, scary waves of ki moving around his body like snakes.

Despite the potentially dangerous situation, she was suddenly very angry. "Ryoga!" She snarled into his face. "Don't _say_ that!"

His fingers, which had been clenching tightly around the arm rest of the park bench, finally caused it to snap and break into large splinters. "Why _not_? It's _true_!"

Ignoring the damage he'd done, she grabbed both his shoulders and shook him with a strength she wasn't quite aware she had, his teeth all but rattling in his skull; he looked utterly stupefied. "M-my mom _is_ dead, okay? At least _you_ have hope! At least _you_ have a _chance_ of seeing them again!" She gritted out, clutching his arms.

The alarming colours swirling around him flickered and died slowly as his face went slack, his eyes large and startled. "U-Ukyo…I didn't know...!" She began to regret her outburst when she saw how absolutely horrified and ashamed at himself he was.

"Forget it," she mumbled, troubled, releasing his arms. "It was a long, long time ago. It's okay."

Apparently it _wasn't _okay, because the tears just kept on rolling down his cheeks as he looked guiltily at her. "I'm s-sorry…!"

Something inside broke at the sight of his uncontrolled tears; she couldn't bear looking at him like that anymore. "If I hadn't insisted on dragging you home with me in the first place, you would've been there when they came back." She said in a thick voice, changing the subject. She had absolutely _no_ desire to talk about her mother right then; she'd only said it to make him get a grip on himself.

Ryoga looked up at her blearily. "N-no, Ukyo...I...that's not your fault." The thought hadn't even crossed his mind.

"Yes, it was," Ukyo insisted, gritting her teeth to keep her voice steady. "You kept telling me you wanted to go home, and I just— I'm so selfish and bossy!"

"Ukyo," Ryoga said pleadingly, rattled by her mood swings. Leaning forward, he brushed her cheek with his thumb. "It's okay, really."

"Mm?" Ukyo asked, her cheeks reddening under his touch. She felt suddenly light-headed with the situation; the guilt and the grief and the intimacy of his gesture overpowering her. "But...?"

"Ukyo, I don't regret it at all. I've had a good time with you and I h-haven't felt so...so _not_ lonely in a long time."

"But your parents..." Ukyo murmured.

Ryoga shook his head sadly. "Even if I had stayed, it wouldn't have been any kind of guarantee that I'd have managed to meet them again. That was over a _month _ago, Ukyo! I would've been forced to leave the house to get food at some point, anyway." Ryoga wiped the tears from his face, clearing his throat self-consciously. "I'm just…I'm sorry I acted this way, Ukyo. I guess I felt a little overwhelmed…"

Ukyo nodded reluctantly and turned to the only thing she could think of to make it better— comfort food. "Listen, uh…let's have a nice dinner tonight, okay? Something a bit more complicated than instant ramen, right?"

He smiled a little. "Sure." The last few days had been a bit busier than usual, hence dinner had tended to be rushed at the end of the day when they were very tired.

"I'll…I'll go shopping for the ingredients after we close up the restaurant for today and then we'll just enjoy ourselves and not…let's close up a little earlier today and just relax, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay."

"And now," Ukyo drew in a sharp, determined breath as she got up. "Let's walk this dog of yours before it falls asleep."

Ryoga took the leash as she offered it to him. "Thanks."

When they'd been walking for a few minutes, Ukyo stepped closer to him and slipped her hand into his, squeezing it to show her support. It felt very reassuring, very warm and solid against her own, and she made a contented sound under her breath as his hand eventually wrapped itself around hers as well. Glancing up at him, she saw that he was blushing quite uncontrollably, but that he was _trying_ to control it. She could feel his arm turning stiff against hers as his body tensed up, and she sighed happily, finally starting to recover after all that had happened that morning.

He was still Ryoga.

She kept holding on to his hand as they walked the excited Shirokuro around the park and then to the flea market across the street and then around Ryoga's neighbourhood before they returned her to Miss Maeda, who was looking relieved that Ryoga seemed to be doing better. Shirokuro whined as they left, but Ryoga promised to come back again soon, now that Ukyo could take him there.

Before they went home, they took a little detour to his house so he could pick up some more clothes for himself, although he didn't end up with much even if he spent about twenty frustrating minutes ransacking his wardrobe and dresser, because there weren't that much stuff there that actually still _fit_ him.

While he was searching for wearable clothing, she sat on his bed and looked around with interest at all the different souvenirs he'd dropped off at his room over the years. There were banners from Hokkaido and Kyushu covering the walls, there were large shelves stuffed with all sorts of ceramic figurines, including little tanuki, and there were all kinds of different fans, both in paper and cloth and in different colours, and there was a couple of small, porcelain sake sets and even a cheesy little novelty mug with CHINATOWN, KOBE on it. Most of the souvenirs were recognizable to her, in part because a lot of them had their origins written on them in large, gaudy letters, but some of them she had to ask about, and he told her all about them as he searched through shelves and drawers for decent clothing.

"…and this is from Kyoto, right?" She asked in amusement as she picked up a small, wooden doll with a ridiculously large bowl haircut from his nightstand. She'd seen them millions of times when she'd visited the city.

Ryoga nodded absently as he studied an old T-shirt critically before deciding to leave it. "You can have it if you want," He offered.

Ukyo smiled. "No, thank you, it's not really my style, but…" Looking a little embarrassed, she picked up a small, ceramic haniwa; with its eyes and mouth made out of gaping holes, its perpetually shocked expression made it resemble the famous painting The Scream by Edward Munch— if The Scream had been doing a hula dance, that was. "I've always liked _these_…" She admitted, grinning hopefully. "They look a little _cute_, in a spooky kind of way."

Now that he was done searching through his clothes and was directing all his attention at her, it suddenly struck him that they were in fact alone in his bedroom together and that she'd never been there before. And that they were in an empty house. And that she was sitting on his bed, smiling expectantly up at him. And she'd been holding his hand for such an unusually long while, too…

He gulped.

"Uh…" Ryoga shifted a little, clutching the small bundle of clothes he'd gathered up to bring with him. "You…you c-can have it, Ukyo, I don't need it…"

"Are you sure?" Ukyo asked politely.

"Nnn," He simply grunted as he nodded, and she sent his back an odd look as he quickly turned away from her and started stuffing the clothes into a bag almost violently. When he tried to close the bag, the zipper broke.

Ukyo didn't hold his hand as they walked leisurely back to the restaurant— partly because it just didn't feel like a natural occasion for it anymore, as it had been when she'd wanted to comfort him, and partly because it had been less awkward to do it when Shirokuro had been bouncing about in front of them, making lots of nice, distracting noises— but if Ryoga minded it, or if he'd minded it when she _did _hold his hand, he didn't say a word about it.

When Ukyo ran out shopping after they'd closed the restaurant for the day, Ryoga sat at one of the tables there to wait for her. At first, he tried reading the rest of _Tsugumi_ to pass the time but his hands felt too tingly and his brain felt overheated as he finally allowed himself, now that the working day was done, to think about what Ukyo had done earlier. Her holding on to his hand for that long…that had felt…that was…

_That was just so…so **good**…_

He didn't quite understand why she'd done it, but he wished she would do it more often.

* * *

Ukyo was humming to herself as she tested the fruits and vegetables at the market, absently squeezing at a tomato here, smelling a nashi there, idly testing the weight of a daikon; she was so lost in thought that she felt like she was about to jump out of her skin when someone suddenly spoke to her from less than two feet away.

"Ukyo!"

"Aaahh!"

Ranma laughed. "You were sure far gone!"

"_Ran-chan_? What are you doing _here_?"

"I was on my way over to your place when I saw you walking in here." He explained, pointing a thumb over his back.

"Really?" Ukyo frowned in incomprehension. "Why?"

He looked excited, then, as if he had some great news. "I've got two tickets for baseball 'cause my old man and Tendo had to cancel— wanna go?"

Ukyo blinked, slightly thrown. "What, _now_?"

"Yeah! Can you?"

Ukyo looked at him, his grin wide, his eyes hopeful and she felt strangely elated; he was _alone_. He was asking her out _alone_. "Just you and me?" She asked softly.

He nodded enthusiastically. "Just you and me, Ucchan!"

It was too good to be true, and she knew that it probably _wasn't_ true— she wasn't stupid— but it would feel reassuring to be treated like a girl by Ranma just _once_; she couldn't let this chance pass her by. "Okay." She agreed, smiling, forgetting all about shopping as she put down the daikon to follow him out of the store.

* * *

"Ah, you're Ryoga, aren't you?"

He'd just stuck his head out the door to see if Ukyo wasn't coming yet— she'd been gone for over an hour, and the shops she'd gone to were just down the street—when the neighbour lady had suddenly called for him as she was throwing her trash out. What was her name again, she often came to the restaurant with her husband, what was her name—

"Mrs. Tanaka, right?"

Mrs. Tanaka smiled. "That's right. How are things with you and Ukyo?"

"Oh, fine, fine," Ryoga said vaguely, completely missing the real meaning behind Mrs. Tanaka's question as he was busy trying to look down the street for Ukyo.

"Listen, Ryoga, you wouldn't by any chance have the time to help me carry a few boxes into my car, would you?" She then asked hopefully.

"Excuse me, what was that?" Ryoga asked politely, finally focusing properly on her.

"I have a few boxes I have to move to my car, and my husband isn't home today," Mrs. Tanaka began again, a bit apologetically, "so I was wondering if you might see your way to helping me…?"

"Uh…" Ryoga hesitated. Ukyo could be home any minute now…

"If it's not too much trouble…" Mrs. Tanaka was starting to seem a little embarrassed now, probably thinking herself too forward for asking somebody she hardly knew to do this for her.

Ryoga looked at her, a little old lady asking for help, and caved in. Mrs. Tanaka and her husband were some of Ucchan's regulars, he knew, and they always left a pretty sum of money every time they came to Ucchan's, so he felt he was obliged to help Mrs. Tanaka; he certainly didn't want to be the one responsible if the Tanakas stopped coming to Ucchan's after his reluctance to help.

"All right," He agreed, shrugging on his backpack from the genkan just in case; it was more of a reflex than anything else. If Mrs. Tanaka thought it was strange that he needed what looked liked hiking gear to move a few boxes, she didn't mention it.

"Where are the boxes?"

Ten minutes and a _lot_ of boxes later, Ryoga started towards Ucchan's. One minute later, he came to realize that it should've only taken him about _five seconds_ to get to Ucchan's since it was _literally_ next door to the Tanakas. Two seconds later, he admitted to himself with a horrible, sinking feeling that he'd managed to get himself lost, just like he'd promised himself he wouldn't.

An hour later, he also admitted to himself that simply turning back the way he came— even though _logically _it should have led him back to Ucchan's— was _not_ a strategy that worked for Hibiki Ryoga. As he saw skyscrapers towering over him, seemingly mocking him, instead of welcoming little shops in between little houses, he knew he wasn't even _close_ to Ukyo's neighbourhood.

* * *

They'd taken the bus to the baseball stadium, during which Ranma had been talking happily with her. It was rather a new experience for her, she thought, not being the most talkative partner in a conversation. It was a nice feeling, really, just letting yourself get swept along on the current of chatter as they rode along.

At times, she forgot how enthusiastic and easygoing Ranma could be since she was so used to seeing him everyday at school, trying to get himself out of trouble with people or fighting with Akane. She really did feel kind of sorry for Ranma sometimes, but as of late she'd forgotten about how complicated his life was because she'd been so mad at him for the ungraceful way he'd been trying to get her to be friends with him again.

This whole invitation was starting to make up for it, though, she thought as she grinned at one of his intentionally dumb jokes. She'd forgotten he could joke this way, too, all playful and innocent instead of those rude jokes he would use to throw an opponent off their balance.

He was being nice, as well; he was obviously trying to make up for his past behaviour as he did things like opening the door for her at the bus station and offering her the window seat, and it all made her giggle, but through it all, she had this troublesome, nagging feeling that there was just something…missing. As he took her hand to help her off the bus even though she didn't need it— he was of course just trying to keep up the silly gentleman routine— she was surprised and delighted, but she just…she just didn't feel as if…as if she _needed_ to hold on to his hand. She didn't feel as if she would start blushing if he kept holding onto it, either. It just…it just didn't make her giddy or nervous. And _shouldn't_ it?

Well arrived at the stadium, they went to buy some snacks. As they were standing in line, Ukyo looked sidelong at Ranma, considering him. He was handsome, that was true; judging from his looks alone, most people could see why he was so popular with the girls. With his confident stance, broad shoulders, well-muscled body, deep blue eyes, long, dark hair and infectious smile, he attracted girls like flies. She could _see_ all that, yet there was just something missing, something that didn't use to come to her attention whenever she'd looked at him before, and she couldn't quite put her finger on what it might be.

"Ranma?"

"Hmm?"

She tilted her head, squinting a little at him. "You ever consider cutting your hair short?"

He shot her a puzzled look. "I dunno, not really…I've kinda had this hair style forever, you know? Why?"

Ukyo looked equally puzzled herself. "Nothing. I don't know why I even asked." Something was nagging at the back of her mind, but she couldn't for the life of her remember what—

"Hey…how's Ryoga doing, by the way, working at Ucchan's and all?" Ranma asked when they'd finally bought their snacks, looking genuinely interested.

Ukyo's entire body stiffened with shock before she let out a loud gasp, the bag of snacks falling from her hands. With as lightning-fast reflexes as always, Ranma was quick to snag it out of the air before it hit the ground. "Oh, gods! I was supposed to be— he's waiting for me—"Her expression was one of utter incredulity. "I can't believe I forgot…and today of all— I _promised_!" Ukyo's whipped around to look at Ranma, who was staring at her in bewilderment.

"Ukyo, what are you…?"

"Ran-chan, I need to go, I'll talk to you later," She said apologetically before turning on her heel and leaving at a running pace.

When Ukyo finally arrived at her house after a run to the bus stop from the stadium, an agonizing ten minute wait for the bus and an even more frustrating forty-five minute bus ride and then a desperate run from the bus stop to her house, she was close to hyperventilating and was forced to lean against her door for an entire minute to catch her breath.

Once she had recovered, she fumbled with the key in the lock, tore the door open, kicked off her shoes in the genkan and ran into the house. "Ryoga!" She called out rather hoarsely. "Ryoga, I'm sorry I'm so late, I just…!" Not even knowing how to explain it to him without seeming like a complete jerk, she drew a breath and simply called his name again.

There was no reply.

"Ryoga?" She called again, this time not quite as loudly. Maybe he was upstairs. Padding across the floor of her restaurant, she shook her head at herself; she hadn't even bought the damn groceries, and the shops nearby would close in about two minutes, too. It looked like they might have to eat ramen for dinner tonight again, and she'd _promised_ that she'd—

She sighed; she could always cook okonomiyaki, but starting up the grill for just two people would be a lot of unnecessary work and besides, she imagined that he was probably getting a bit sick of okonomiyaki at this point, though he never complained. Perhaps she could bring up some ingredients for yakisoba and make it in her little kitchen upstairs? He'd told her that he liked it, so…

As she ascended the stairs, her stomach was churning with guilt. What was she supposed to say? How could she possibly tell him that she'd totally forgotten about their dinner plans for several hours…and because of _Ranma_, of all people? Should she lie to spare him the disappointment? Or wouldn't that be horribly cowardly of her? Wouldn't that be even more disrespectful, lying to him?

It was just…she knew _exactly_ how he felt about Ranma— the constant rivalry and envy and deep-rooted feelings of inferiority— so how could she tell him? How could she let him down like that? And why…_why_ was she experiencing the prickly, disturbing feeling that she'd just _cheated_ on him, when neither Ryoga nor Ranma were her actual boyfriends and she'd done nothing of the sort? Why was she feeling as if she should be bringing a gift or something with her as she went to apologize to him?

Taking a deep breath as she reached the top of the stairs, she went and knocked on the door to her room…

…then grimaced at her own weird behaviour; it was _her_ room, why in the _world_ was she knocking? "Ryoga?" She called softly as she opened the door. "Are you here?"

He wasn't.

She stood there just blinking vacantly for a while at the empty space where she felt that he should have definitely been before an ominous feeling crept over her. Suddenly moving with urgency where before she had been hesitant, she tore open door after door in her apartment; the kitchen, the little storage room, the bathroom—

They were all empty as well, and she felt herself breathing hard, her frame shaking. Surely he wasn't just _gone_? Surely she hadn't just been so stupid that she'd caused him to get fed up after waiting several hours and had finally left her house to get his own dinner, thank you very much—

An idea struck her; earlier today he'd wanted to go to his house— maybe he'd returned there? It was very unlikely that he'd actually _made_ it to his house, however, but she didn't know what else to do.

Stepping into her shoes, she slammed her front door shut, locked it and took off at a run, trying to ignore her own dry throat and the thought that she should've had a drink of water before she left.

_I don't deserve water_, she thought irrationally, yet fiercely as she ran.

* * *

She retrieved the key from under the door mat and locked herself into his house, feeling as if she was invading his privacy. Room after room was searched, but she came up empty. His house was eerie when he wasn't there and she felt her chest constrict as she stood at the threshold of Ryoga's room, staring blindly at the neat, empty bed and the rows upon rows of little souvenirs that he'd spent a good fifteen minutes telling her about just this morning, when everything had been fine, and he hadn't been horribly lost…

Ukyo jumped as she suddenly heard the door open downstairs; her first thought was that it had to be burglars, and she remembered Ryoga's pale face and guarded expression as he told his elusive tale of the violated privacy of his own home. Ukyo realized with a sinking feeling that she hadn't even brought her spatula with her in all her haste, and frantically searched his room for some sort of weapon. There, leaning against the wall by his bed was a slightly dusty and old-looking bo, the kind of wooden staff he'd probably used as he'd started out with his weapons training when he was younger, just as she had. Swallowing, she went and picked it up, feeling its satisfying weight in her hands. Now _this_ was a familiar weapon, at least.

Sneaking carefully downstairs, Ukyo held her breath as she peeked around the bend for a look at the living room. Somebody came into view and they looked up and caught her gaze before she could even react. It was a dark-haired, middle-aged man, clad in hiking gear and carrying a humongous backpack.

"Who are you?" The man asked curiously, just as Ukyo was about to demand the same of him.

"Uh…" Ukyo stuttered, staring at the man as a short, middle-aged woman suddenly appeared behind him. She was also wearing an overlarge backpack, and something clicked into place for Ukyo as she looked at them. "Ah…are you Ryoga's parents?"

The woman seemed to brighten considerably at this, where before she'd looked wary and suspicious. "Yes, we are!" She responded happily. "Is he home?"

Ukyo walked down the last few steps to stand before them, leaning her weapon against a nearby chair as she avoided their gazes, troubled. "I'm sorry." She mumbled, swallowing. "I came looking for him, but he's…um, he's not here…"

It was unbearable to watch when the woman's face fell. "Oh." She said flatly. "I guess I just hoped…since we actually managed to find the house _twice_ today…" She cleared her throat. "Well, let me introduce myself, anyway. I'm Hibiki Natsumi, pleased to meet you."

"I'm Hibiki Yoshio." The man said a little thickly, giving her a curt nod. He too, looked as if he was struggling to hide his disappointment over Ryoga's absence.

"Oh…uh, I'm Kuonji Ukyo, nice to meet you…" Ukyo said meekly, her face a picture of remorse. Ryoga's parents exchanged a brief glance as she presented her name, and she couldn't help but wonder whether he had mentioned her to them at some point during the last year and a half or so since they'd first met.

How could this get any worse? Ryoga was gone again and it was all _her fault_, and here she had to have a polite conversation with his family, who'd been so anxious to see him—

"How do you know Ryoga?" His mother asked mildly.

_Very **well**, that's how I know him_. "Through a mutual friend." She replied miserably, feeling absolutely rotten at what she considered might be a pretty lie. It sounded like they'd met at a party or at school or something and everything was just fine and dandy when really the "mutual friend" was her fiancée through a weird childhood arrangement, he'd been Ryoga's rival since junior high and…and also, Ryoga was her _best friend_ now, she could feel it, he wasn't just some acquaintance; through a mutual friend, indeed! She was making herself _sick_!

Ukyo wondered mournfully if Ryoga's parents even knew about his curse or not. "Listen," she gestured at the wooden staff leaning against the chair, "I'm really sorry about that, I heard a sound and was afraid it might be burglars."

His father actually smiled a little. "No problem, we understand."

Ukyo smiled feebly back as she was starting to notice little things about their faces that reminded her about Ryoga, like his father's eyes, his mother's mouth with its prominent canines and most of all the thick, heavy, black hair his father possessed, only slightly greying despite the fact that he had to be at least forty-seven, and she wondered idly if Ryoga might look like that when he reached that age; she suddenly had an unsettling need to find out…but he was gone…

Closing her eyes tightly, she held a hand in front of her mouth to keep from letting out any sounds that might sound like crying; these people were more or less strangers and didn't need to be burdened with her problems. She felt a hand on her shoulder, then, and when she looked up, biting her lip, she saw that Ryoga's mother was looking at her, concerned. "What's wrong, Ukyo?"

Ukyo shook her head. "It's just…Ryoga's gone and I can't find him anywhere…" Again, she caught his parents exchanging glances before his mother turned back to her. "He'll be back eventually, Ukyo, I promise."

"I know," Ukyo said tremulously. "I just wish he was here _right now_…" She looked up at them and noticed that Ryoga's father had crow's feet by his eyes; he looked like a man who'd laughed a lot in his life, and she felt a rush of sadness as she thought of how Ryoga was already developing a furrow in his forehead at such a young age, probably from worrying too much and thinking too many depressing thoughts; she felt queasy as she wondered if she'd just added another sorrow to the already big pile he was always dragging around.

"You'll have to excuse me for asking…" Ryoga's father suddenly spoke, and she looked up apprehensively. How many more questions would she be able to answer without weeping? "…but are you Ryoga's girlfriend, Miss Kuonji?"

Ukyo tensed up, staring at him. "What?" She said faintly, her face growing uncomfortably hot. They were both looking at her expectantly now, and she realized she'd have to respond at some point.

"We don't mean to embarrass you, it's just that you look so worried," Ryoga's mother interjected.

"N-no, it's nothing like that," Ukyo blurted. "He's just my friend! The fact is that he's been staying with me for a while, helping me out in the restaurant, and—"

"Restaurant?"

Ukyo drew a much-needed breath. "Yes, um…my okonomiyaki restaurant."

Again, Ryoga's parents exchanged a look. "Really?" His father looked mildly impressed. "But aren't you awfully young for that?"

Ukyo shrugged modestly. "It runs in the family."

"And Ryoga's been working there?" His mother looked pleased.

Despite the serious situation, Ukyo found herself smiling a little. "Yeah," She nodded. "Just little things, you know…doing the dishes and stuff, helping me tidy up the place after hours, that sort of thing." She glanced at them shyly. "It's really been a relief for me, though."

"Must be hard, running a restaurant all by yourself." His father agreed, looking sympathetic.

Ukyo bit her lip; from now on she'd have to go back to doing just that, managing Ucchan's all by herself again, without the help of— "It's no problem." She replied hoarsely. "I've been doing it for well over a year already, I'm used to it, really…"

His mother frowned a little and looked to his father, who nodded. "Listen, Miss Kuonji," He cleared his throat. "The truth is that we finally managed to get a subscription to a cell phone about a year ago, so if you wish, we'd like to give you our number so you can reach us when you need to…" He sighed a little. "We haven't seen Ryoga since then, however, so when he shows up again, could you please tell him…?" He trailed off, looking into Ukyo's eyes with a slightly pleading expression.

Ukyo nodded furiously. "Of course!"

His mother quickly got out pen and paper and wrote down the number, handing it to her. "The first one's my number and the second one's my husband's." She explained.

"I won't lose it," she vowed firmly, clutching it to her chest before putting it in her pocket. "Ryoga will be so happy!" She added earnestly.

Ryoga's mother smiled wistfully. "I hope so."

Ukyo decided not to mention that they'd just missed meeting their son. She felt as if she'd caused enough misery for one day.

When she got home, she put the ceramic haniwa that Ryoga had given her on the nightstand next to her bed.

Sleeping was a difficult task that night.

* * *

On Monday, school seemed to go on and on forever. Their homeroom teacher had always had a pretty boring way of teaching, but now it felt as if he was doing it at half the normal speed as well. Ukyo sighed and yawned surreptitiously behind her hand, idly doodling in her note book.

Akane glanced over to see what she was doing, and was surprised to see that the little stick figure she was currently drawing was obviously supposed to be Ukyo, quite detailed with the little hair bow and okonomiyaki uniform, beating herself over the head with her own spatula. The others were partially covered in angry scribbles, but she thought she caught a glimpse of an arm holding a tiny little umbrella.

Something was evidently Rotten in The State of Denmark.

During lunch, Akane was surprised further when she saw that Ukyo's lunch wasn't homemade like usual. It looked like she'd picked up a cheap bento box on the way to school. Frowning, Akane leaned over to the other girl companionably.

"Nice drawings." She began uncertainly.

Blushing, Ukyo dropped her chopsticks and flipped the book over so Akane couldn't look at them; unfortunately the other page was covered in several little stick figures running around in circles, big fat tear drops surrounding their weeping faces. She'd forgotten about those. Blushing harder, Ukyo ripped out the page with a grim expression and crumpled it into a tiny ball, throwing it into the waste basket in the corner.

"Ukyo, what's wrong?" Akane was now starting to get honestly concerned.

"He's gone." Ukyo said quietly, standing up to leave the room.

"Who?" Akane asked, trying to keep her voice down. "Do you mean Ryoga?"

She saw Ukyo flinch. "I'm…I'm going to the bathroom," Ukyo mumbled evasively.

Akane stared after her as she left. What could've happened? And how was she supposed to help when Ukyo wouldn't even talk to her about it?

"What's up with Ukyo?" Ranma asked curiously, leaning across Akane's desk as he devoured his bento. He hadn't talked to Ukyo since that Saturday, when she'd run off right before the baseball game, and he was getting to be worried.

"I…I don't really know…" Akane answered haltingly, picking up Ukyo's discarded note book, her finger tracing the lines of the doodles that Ukyo _hadn't_ thrown away.

"Hey," Ranma said in awe, squinting at the doodles. "Those are pretty good for stick figur— oh." He went silent abruptly as he saw what they were supposed to be. "Think they had some sort of fight?" He asked eventually.

"Maybe." Akane could only shrug.

Since Ukyo came back twenty minutes later for the next class instead of disappearing for the rest of the day like Akane had suspected she might, though, it couldn't be_ that_ bad, right?

* * *

The next week, Ukyo found his Hokkaido shirt in the laundry hamper, hidden in between layers of her own clothing. She felt a brief stab of sadness at this discovery, but she simply folded up the T-shirt and placed it on the bottom shelf of her wardrobe. He'd be back to get it.

The following night as she was making dinner, she noticed in a vague manner that she was making an awful lot of food, really, twice as much as she herself even needed, you might even say, but she just told herself that she was really hungry. Funny, that, considering the lack of appetite she'd been experiencing lately.

When she sat down to eat and saw that she had set the table for two, the house seemed so acutely empty all of a sudden that her breath hitched in her chest before she could stop herself.

What did it matter, anyway? No one was around to see her cry.

* * *

Lying in his tent, trying to sleep, Ryoga absentmindedly rolled over on his side and suddenly caught himself looking for the outline of Ukyo's sleeping form in the dark. He frowned deeply at himself and rolled over on his stomach, burrowing his nose in the sleeping bag's soft material, his fists clenched.

_You wanted to **walk**,_ he thought bitterly. _Well, it looks like you got your wish!_ It'd been two weeks now since he'd gotten himself lost, and he'd spent each and every one of them trying to get back while cursing his own name. And he'd been walking and walking and walking and _walking_….

Ryoga noticed he was squirming in his sleeping bag as if it was stuffed full of centipedes or something and as he tried to swallow, he realized he had a big lump in his throat. It was as if he was shifting around to try to actually _physically_ avoid his own feelings.

_It **would **be nice_, Ryoga thought as he desperately tried to settle down, _if emotions really **were** something physical, something outside of yourself that you actually **could** avoid when you didn't want them and just use whichever of them you **did** want! It would've saved me **so** much trouble over the years! _

Had he felt the loneliness as intensely as this since childhood?

His shoulders were shaking, he realized; he held up a hand in front of his face, the fingers of which were twitching; he simply stared. There was something wrong with him, as if there was some giant hole in his mind where something should be, and he knew what it was.

He missed Ukyo.

As he'd thought before when he'd stayed with Ukyo, he suddenly started thinking that he wanted to…to touch her somehow, but he didn't quite know the why or how or when of it. Maybe a hand on her shoulder or her back to reassure her or maybe even holding hands, anything, or maybe something more, something like a hug or maybe even a kiss on the cheek…?

He'd almost never touched her like that before, because she always took the initiative on the few occasions she'd touched him, and he had felt content to just lie on her bedroom floor in her presence, but now he felt such a powerful urge to be close to her that he started breathing heavily, clutching his head as the world seemed to tilt gently sideways and spin.

He closed his eyes as his mind ran away with him, throwing such images at him as he and Ukyo locked in a hug on the couch in her room, watching those silly TV shows she liked to watch on occasion…her fingers were massaging his scalp and he sighed and shivered, almost feeling the soothing sensation in real life—

He remembered how she'd held on to his hand for what had felt like almost an hour that day when they walked Shirokuro; he was still amazed as to why she did it, and he wondered if it had made her as happy as him—

_Probably not. _

But what if he, as they were sitting on the couch one night— if he _ever_ managed to get back to her restaurant— what if he were to slide his hand over to hers and cover it with his own? What if he were to run his thumb across the sensitive skin of her wrist, what if he were to lean in…would she turn her face up towards his and—

Ryoga sat up, gasping. He needed to stop thinking like this. He'd just been away for too long, that was it! That was why he was having such weird thoughts…!

* * *

Ranma sat on the couch, glancing sideways at his designated target. There was Akane's hand, resting innocently on the smooth material of the couch, completely unaware of its fate. He was resting after a long day; practice, Shampoo chasing him to school and Mousse chasing _Shampoo_ chasing_ him_ to school, and then there was the actual school, then homework, more practice, then a _very_ unscheduled home visit from Shampoo…

It had been particularly bad lately. Shampoo just wouldn't get off his case, and wherever Shampoo went, Mousse was sure to follow. It looked like she was getting impatient after what was moving well into her second year of trying to catch him. With any luck, she might give up in the end.

_Yeah, right. _

Anyway, Akane's hand. She was just sitting there, watching television, all unsuspecting. What if he was to just _slide_ his hand over to hers and—

Wait, that was the problem right there, wasn't it? She _was _unsuspecting. And they basically _never _touched, so wouldn't she just interpret it as some kind of trick that was supposed to distract her from his perverted intentions or something? Because the only reason he was even considering to do what he was planning to do was of course because this was one of those once-in-lifetime occurrences when both his dad, the old lecher _and_ Akane's entire family was _out of the house at the same time_. So they were _alone_ in the house, and if her attitude was anything like it'd been the last time, she'd be mad if he tried approaching her in any way.

Or, in the very least it would startle her if he just grabbed her hand like that, and then the moment would be ruined.

So…

So, what if he gave her some sort of warning?

"Akane?"

"Hmm?" She turned her eyes to his and she looked expectant as their gazes locked. "What is it, Ranma?"

Ranma gritted his teeth; how was he supposed to do it when she was _looking _at him? And he had _not_ intended for his voice to sound all weird like that, all weak and unmanly and—

"Nothing." He muttered. Sometimes when he was around her, he felt as if someone had surgically removed his backbone and replaced it with wobbly jelly, yet other times she would make him feel as if it was made of the finest steel and always _had_ been. How _was_ that?

He heard her sigh heavily and then felt the couch pillows shift as she sagged into them.

He couldn't mess this up, he realized. They'd just finished a twenty minute long shouting match about Shampoo and Mousse before they'd finally settled down on the couch, her fuming and him looking resigned, and he was too tired to risk getting her angry again. When he was this tired, he was even _better_ at putting his foot in his mouth.

Taking a deep breath, he carefully inched his hand towards hers on the couch. Despite sensing that she was now watching his hand and was completely aware of what he was doing, he still needed to take it slow, and he was grateful that she didn't say anything until his hand had settled over hers.

"Nice," Was all she said as she slowly turned her palm up to meet his, twining her fingers intimately into his instead of simply holding his hand like he'd expected.

"Nice," He agreed quietly, daring to relax just a little as they watched the TV together. "Nice," he echoed five minutes later, closing his eyes as she started running her warm, soft thumb in little, soothing circles across his palm. After the kind of day _he'd_ had, this was practically like coming home to a hot bath, a big dinner and a big, soft bed…with someone you loved.

_Really, **really** nice. _He thought, feeling warm and content as he heard her sigh in a completely different manner than she had before. She didn't sound angry anymore. Physical contact really did have something to say for itself after all, didn't it?

The last thing he thought he heard before he drifted asleep was Akane giggling softly. He hoped she would wake him up before her family came home.

If she didn't, and her family and his old man saw them sitting like this, things would _not _be nice.

_Not at **all**._

* * *

When Ryoga had been gone for about three weeks or so, Ukyo's father called her. He wanted her to come visit him for Golden Week, and he also wanted her to use her new driver's license— which she'd finally been able to get the week after Ryoga had left— to bring him the car he'd just agree to buy from their mutual friend Occhan. Afraid to leave in case Ryoga should return, Ukyo backtracked, coming up with all sorts of lame excuses as to why she couldn't go, but her father kept calling her almost every day for the next week. Apparently this was quite important to him for some reason, and Ukyo was starting to feel guilty for lying to her father, which was guilt she didn't need on top of all the guilt she felt about her role in Ryoga's absence. Besides, she missed her father a lot as she hadn't seen him since New Year's Eve, and driving out there would give her a chance to visit her grandparents as well, whom she hadn't seen since then, either.

When Golden Week rolled around, Ryoga still hadn't returned. With a lump in her throat, she finally made the decision to go to Osaka after all. At least it would make her father happy.

On the morning of her departure, it was with a heavy heart that she locked her front door, loaded the car with her bags and started the engine. _Maybe it will do me some good to get away and see my dad_, she thought, sighing as she pulled out of the little side street she lived in and started towards the main street. Just as she was about to pass the zebra crossing, she had to hit the break in a panic as she was only a few inches away from hitting a pedestrian! Ukyo winced as she felt the bumper hit the person's legs sharply because she hadn't been quite fast enough. Glancing up, she noticed that she'd been so spaced out that she'd run on a _red_ _light_! Oh gods, what was _wrong_ with her, she could've—

Ukyo froze, gaping. There, right in front of her car, looking befuddled, as if a little child had tried kicking him or something, stood Hibiki Ryoga; monster backpack, yellow bandanna, red umbrella and all.

Her head spinning, she slammed the car door open and more or less stumbled out of the car, hurrying over to him. He looked fine, he was simply brushing a bit of dirt off of his pants, but it didn't matter; she hadn't seen him for weeks and when he finally showed up, she almost _ran him over_ with her _car_! Panting with shock and concern, she flung herself around his neck and clung on, pressing her face against the side of his neck, standing on the tips of her toes as she embraced him. She felt his entire body go rigid with the surprise attack, but she didn't care. Her own body and mind sang with the relief of his return, releasing feelings in her that she'd been hoarding carefully like dangerous containers of toxic waste.

"_U-Ukyo_?"

She could _finally_ apologize! "Oh, Ryoga, I'm so sorry, I'm so _sorry_…!"

Ryoga's heart felt as if it would burst; not only had he found Ukyo again, but she was _hugging_ him! This was the first time she'd _ever_ hugged him! How could something so good possibly be happening to him after such a long time of torturous absence? "Wh-what?" He asked faintly, his hands coming to rest uncertainly on her back.

"It's all my fault! If I hadn't—"

At that point, the car behind hers loudly honked its horn, which prompted the other two cars in the queue to start up an angry chorus. Evidently, some other people _also_ wanted to use the road today. Ukyo jumped a bit and released Ryoga self-consciously, regretful at the forced separation; she'd never hugged him before and she'd just been starting to learn what it felt like. "Um, I better…"

"Wh-where are you going?" Ryoga asked, pointing at her car with a hand that was still trembling with the unexpected attachment and then detachment of her body to his own.

"Osaka," She said, glancing nervously at the row of cars. One of the drivers had started leaning out the window now, glaring at them. Gods, if only things hadn't been this _stupid_, if only she hadn't met him again just as she was _leaving town_, for goodness' sake!

"Oh." He said in a hollow voice as he realized she wasn't just going shopping or something. It felt like a punch in the gut; she was _leaving_! Just when he'd found her, she was _leaving_!

She turned to him sharply, then, as something occurred to her. This _didn't_ have to be so hard! "Ryoga, why don't you come with me?"

"Huh?" Sinking deeper into his own depression, he'd had trouble catching what she'd said.

"Come on, hurry, I need to leave," She begged him. "I'll explain everything on the way, just come with me!"

Blinking, looking a little thrown, Ryoga nevertheless nodded and got in her car.

Before she re-entered her car, Ukyo checked the bumper and saw that it had a big dent in it. The bizarre implications of it all made her light-headed; she giggled briefly with delight as she climbed into the driver's seat. Okay, so she hadn't been driving all that fast, but still…! Her bumper was badly dented, while Ryoga was completely unharmed! The boy was a phenomenon all in his own right, and he was back! Life was all nice and crazy again! How reassuring!

As the light turned green again, Ukyo hit the gas for all she was worth, smiling.

* * *

"What were you talking about earlier?" Ryoga asked when they'd been driving for a few minutes and he felt he was finally able to speak as he was beginning to get over the emotional confusion of everything that had happened. "_What's_ your fault?"

Tensing up, her fingers gripped the wheel tightly; lost in the joy of their reunion, she'd almost forgotten about all that. The traffic was moving at a snail's pace as they were now downtown, and so she couldn't even excuse herself by telling him that she couldn't speak because she needed to keep an eye on the road. Even if she was afraid to, she had no other choice but to tell him. "I, uh…when…when we were supposed to make dinner together the night you disappeared and I was just stepping out for groceries?" She hazarded, feeling petty.

"What about it…?"

"The thing is, I kinda met Ranma on the way and he gave me a free baseball ticket so I kinda forgot about…about the groceries." She had to bite her tongue not to say that she'd forgotten about _him_. Strangely enough, though, he'd somehow seemed to have been there at the back of her mind all along.

She could actually_ hear_ him swallow with the hurt. "I see." He said dully.

She cringed; he looked so crestfallen that the guilt that had been plaguing her for the last few weeks simply exploded. "R-Ryoga, I'm so sorry, you have no idea how much this has been bothering me! After you got lost, I…I felt so rotten, like it was all my fault…and it _was_!" She was babbling now and she knew it, but she was desperate for him to forgive her and for him to understand she had never intended to hurt him. "I never meant to forget, I don't know why I— the second I remembered I literally _ran_ home and, and I ran over to your house to look for you and I was so scared! You have to believe me, Ryoga, I've been wanting to apologize for weeks, but I didn't know how to find you!" She forced back the tears she'd been forcing back ever since he'd gone missing. "I've been feeling so…so _helpless _because you were gone and I couldn't say I was sorry!"

As she turned her head briefly to gauge his reaction— she needed to keep her eyes on the road after all— she saw that he looked utterly stunned by her rant.

"I don't understand…I mean, why would you feel— why?" He asked hesitantly.

"I missed you." She said it so quietly that he thought for a moment that he'd misheard her.

"Huh?"

To his alarm, she flushed bright red. "Y-you know, I mean…you were living with me for more than a month almost, and I kinda got used to having you around…you know? And then suddenly you were gone and I had no way of reaching you…!" She shook her head, looking upset and annoyed. "You should really get a cell phone so people don't have to worry about you!"

Ryoga's mouth felt suddenly dry as he regarded her red cheeks and concerned features. "I…I'm sorry."

Ukyo glanced at him quickly before her eyes darted back to the road. "It's okay…it's my own fault, really…" Her voice had gone so soft again that it made him shift in his seat, suddenly feeling inexplicably hot and nervous. She cared more about him than he'd thought, and he had no clue as to how to deal with that. Nobody ever said they missed him, they usually just complained about him being so dim-witted for always getting lost. Aside from his parents, his absence had never actually had much of an impact on anybody's _life_ before.

Silence descended in the tiny space of the car as Ukyo concentrated on driving and Ryoga tried desperately to think of something to say to her to get her to stop looking so sad. "If I can get my old job back in Osaka…" He finally came up with.

"Yeah?" Ukyo asked absently.

"…I'll see if I can buy a cell phone…" He promised.

"Be sure to get one of those batteries where you don't need a charger, too, _just in case_ you find yourself in a place without an electrical outlet." Ukyo said jokingly, smiling a little. Ryoga felt a strange little rush of something go through him at the sight of her slowly returning to the Ukyo he knew; his throat felt strangled and he gaped a little as he realized just how glad he was to be in her company once more. The urge to say something about it grabbed a hold of him.

_ImissedyouImissedImissedyouImissedyousomuch….!_

"Uh…can I turn on the radio?" He asked hoarsely instead, desperate for a distraction from the overwhelming emotions he was experiencing.

"Sure…" Ukyo smiled and his shoulders sagged. He felt relieved but at the same time there was an almost painful feeling of disappointment at himself for not saying anything. Still, blurting out something like that would do more harm than good, he told himself.

Suddenly he remembered something he _could_ tell her, though.

"Here…I brought you some uiro." He said, taking out a small box of confectionery from one large pocket.

Ukyo looked completely bewildered. "Uiro…?" Then a light seemed to go on in her head. "Don't tell me you _walked_ all the way to _Nagoya_?"

Ryoga shrugged. "Do you want it?"

"Yeah, I do. Thanks, Ryoga." Ukyo grinned and shook her head. "You know, you really are kind of weird."

Ryoga winced and ducked his head. That's what they all said, they all thought he was—

Ukyo smiled fondly at him, struck by how easy it was to fall back into the comfort of his company, how it felt like it was always like this even if he'd just been missing for four weeks, and it was the slightly unsettling wave of affection she felt all of a sudden that made her say: "I like that about you."

"Oh!" The unexpected, warm compliment felt like a lightning bolt straight through his heart; he started breathing just a little too rapidly. "Th-thanks, I guess…"

"My grandparents live in Nagoya, you know." Ukyo said wistfully. "My Grandma is actually the co-owner of an Uiro shop there, too, right by Akamon Dohri, you know, that one big shopping street? She told me I could stay over at her house when I get there, and I'm sure you'll be welcome, too."

Ryoga's eyes widened. "This grandmother of yours, she's not…I mean, is she about this tall, wears her hair in this knot, kinda thin and looks to be about seventy-five or so…?"

Ukyo's widened as she first looked at him, then down at the box of uiro in his lap. It bore the well-known _Osu-uiro_ kanji, the name of her grandmother's shop! She laughed in surprise. "You're _kidding_ me! Wow, wait 'till I tell her when we get there, she's gonna think it's _such_ a riot!" She smiled softly. "I can't believe you got me uiro from my Grandma's shop! You're so sweet!"

Ryoga flushed, back-pedalling frantically. "W-well, it's not like I knew it w-was her and they weren't that expensive, it's really no big deal, it's not as if, um—"

"Thanks anyway, huh?" Ukyo interrupted, only grinning even wider.

* * *

"When did you get the car, by the way?"

They were now finally out of the city centre, and the traffic was moving more and more smoothly with more and more space between each car as they made their way out of Tokyo.

"Oh, it's not actually mine. Me and my dad's friend Occhan is selling it to my dad, so we agreed I'd just drive it over. I'm going back by train."

Ryoga nodded absently, looking out the window at the other cars whizzing by. "I don't think I'll ever get a license. For me, driving would just be a way of getting lost faster, right?" He sighed. "My parents can't drive, either."

Ukyo gasped, turning to him, her eyes wide. "Ryoga! Your parents! I met them!"

"What?" He returned her stare.

Slowing the car down and swerving to the right, Ukyo stopped by the side of the road. As she shut the engine off, she turned back to him. "Here, this is for you." She told him, digging into the pocket of her jeans for the note his mother had given her; she'd kept it with her at all times just in case he'd show up.

He blinked as he looked at it and saw his mother and father's name. "What's this? Is this…?"

She nodded happily. "Yes! Now you can call them!"

Ryoga's eyes looked suspiciously moist all of a sudden. "R-really?"

Ukyo nodded again, grinning broadly. "Yes!"

Ryoga gave a shuddering breath, his frame shivering. "Ukyo, y-you…"

This time he didn't stop halfway as he reached out to pull her into his embrace, though his hands were shaking, and this time she wasn't as intimidated by it, though she was surprised; her breath became somewhat shaky as he gave her a tender squeeze. As she smiled against his T-shirt, she was a bit disturbed to feel the sting of tears in her eyes.

"You have _no_ idea how much being able to reach my parents again means to me," Ryoga confessed in a thick voice, his cheek resting against her hair.

_I think I do. _Ukyo thought to herself as she ran a hand in overlapping circles across his upper back, absently exploring.

When they finally pulled apart, his face had darkened in colour and he gave an awkward laugh, ducking his head abashedly.

"Glad to be back?" She asked as they pulled back out on the road.

"Back? I'm just about to leave Tokyo again," he pointed out, chuckling a little.

She smiled to herself and shrugged; that wasn't exactly what she'd meant, but he didn't have to know that. "Whatever. I think I seriously need a vacation, anyway."

Nagoya Castle during Golden Week was a nightmare. Even this early, the castle grounds were packed with people. They took one look at the souvenir shop and decided they were well out of it when they saw the tourists trying to push their way past each other in the cramped space as they fought over the last boxes of plushie swords or cheap replicas of the famous Golden Orca.

Ukyo's grandparents had cheerfully sent them off with homemade bento, bright and early.

Ryoga didn't even know how Ukyo had managed to get up this early; they'd been driving all day and all evening! Somehow, she was as fresh as a daisy as she dragged him around the castle, enthusiastically pointing out stuff to him and explaining it all since she'd been there before; he didn't have the heart to tell her that he wasn't even catching half of what she was saying.

He was starting to sweat with anxiety and with the air in the castle, which turning stifling what with so many people sharing it. The crowds were making him nervous. This was such a very, very easy place to get lost. It had, _what was it now_, eight floors, and each room circled around the central staircase structure; it would be_ so_ easy to turn the corner and lose sight of each other in this mess. Fear made his heart clench each time each time a family group or a sports club on a trip pushed their way between them so they were separated. He'd been _so_ lost, away from her for too long— what if it happened again so soon after she'd found him? What if—

"Ryoga."

His frenzied train of thought slowed down at the sound of her voice. The long since felt reassuring pressure of Ukyo's hand in his had finally returned. Turning his head he caught her grinning at him in an apologetic sort of way. "You don't exactly look like you're having the time of your life, Sugar."

He suddenly felt rude for ruining her fun. "I'm sorry, I—"

She only smiled wider. "Don't be sorry, I should've known better than to come here now of all times in the year!"

He hesitated. "Do you…do you want to leave?"

She shrugged. "I've been here before, so if you want to leave, just say the word." Moving closer against him to let a group of kids by, she added: "Besides, it's so easy to get lost here."

Ryoga breathed a sigh of relief, nodding his agreement. "Let's go."

Somehow, they managed to find a free bench outside and sat down to eat their lunch. After a leisurely stroll back to the car, they went back to her grandparents' house and spent the rest of the day there.

To both their surprises, Ukyo's grandmother had recognized Ryoga when they'd first arrived at the house the night before. That had been another nice little embarrassing moment in his life.

"Of course I remember you!" She'd cackled good-naturedly when she'd noticed his bewildered look. "Not many people come into my shop with enough hiking gear to climb Mount Fuji, asking me if we're far from Nerima in Tokyo or not!"

As usual, Grandpa was being polite and not exactly a chatterbox, but Ukyo thought her grandmother was _really_ going off the deep end with this one. She'd obviously taken a single look at Ryoga and immediately recognized him as one of those young men who were extremely easily teased. For the remainder of their stay, she'd simply referred to Ryoga as _the mountaineer_, grinning with delight each time he blushed, and apparently she also seemed to think— no matter how many times Ukyo had discreetly taken her aside and patiently tried to explain that this wasn't so— that Ryoga's presence meant that it wouldn't be too many years before there would be grandchildren on the way. Grandma had only wrinkled her nose and scoffed when Ukyo had pointed out that she already _had_ a fiancée.

The only blessing was the fact that Grandma hadn't mentioned the grandchildren so Ryoga could hear, at least, which was probably because she only wanted to tease him, not scare the living daylights out of him.

Grandma just wouldn't stop leering during dinner. Ever since she'd realized that she was what passed for an elderly lady, Ukyo's father had told her once, shaking his head, she'd quickly abandoned anything resembling tact or social rules— except when working in her shop, of course; you wouldn't get many customers without good service and plenty of _keigo_— and had behaved exactly the way she wanted to. She was an elder, she'd said, and so they had to respect her. She couldn't be having with acting all proper at her time of life.

Grandpa never objected to this kind of behaviour. He never said that much at all, really. Sometimes Ukyo really had to wonder how they ever managed to meet and get together in the first place.

When Grandma asked if they would be sharing the guest room and offered to push the two guest beds together, causing Ryoga to choke on his mouthful of rice so she was forced to slap him on the back until he recovered, Ukyo had had enough. She loved her grandparents dearly, but as she glared at Grandma, grinning as innocently as a shark, she decided it was time to leave the next day. Grandpa only looked resigned as he ate the eel dish they'd prepared especially for her visit. Apparently, Grandma thought she ate too much okonomiyaki. Go figure.

Ukyo thought she could see a hint of a smirk in the corner of Grandpa's mouth, though.

* * *

After dinner, Ukyo dragged Grandma away to relax on the back porch, leaving Ryoga to have some tea and play some shogi with Grandpa in the living room so he'd get a much needed break from Grandma.

Ukyo never got to give Grandma the scolding she wanted to, though. The second Grandma was separated from her audience, she was suddenly serenity itself. The leer and the cackle had vanished like water evaporating on a hot day. She sat down cross-legged on the porch— Grandma never bothered to sit _seiza _style anymore, either— calmly lit her foul, old pipe, took a sip of her tea and turned a calculating gaze towards her granddaughter.

"I see you're not dressing like a boy anymore." She commented casually.

Ukyo pursed her lips. She hadn't visited her grandparents since New Year's Eve when she'd went with her dad, and then she'd been wearing a large college sweater and pants that were a size too big. Already back then she'd started experimenting with girls clothes, but a trip to Grandma and grandpa didn't seem like it warranted a frilly dress, exactly. They accepted her anyway, and besides, she didn't want to have Grandma asking any difficult questions.

Like she was doing now.

"I guess the mountaineer back there's to thank for that, right?" She grinned just a little as she puffed at her pipe.

Ukyo sighed heavily. "No, Grandma, he's got nothing to do with it. I started doing this when I'd finally made up with Saotome Ranma again. And by the way, his name is _Ryoga_," She added, frowning sternly at her. "Don't think I don't know you're trying to embarrass him."

Grandma just pretended to be preoccupied with her pipe and her tea.

Sighing again, Ukyo looked down at herself. The jeans she was wearing had a feminine cut and her shoes were dainty, red sneakers, bought in the section for women in a shoe store in Nerima. Today, she'd taken the liberty of buying a new top on their way home that afternoon. Pulling at the hem, she wondered if she would've found herself buying a summer top with a floral pattern last year. _Probably not._ She'd never felt comfortable wearing bright colours before lately. Still, she hadn't exactly been dressing like a longshoreman or anything when Ryoga had started working at her restaurant, had she?

"Ryoga seems like a nice, polite boy." Grandma prompted before falling silent again. Ukyo rolled her eyes. It was the oldest trick in the book; keeping quiet so the other person would feel forced to start talking.

"What do you _want_, Grandma?" She groaned.

"I've never understood why your father made that deal with the Saotomes." Grandma said, acting as if Ukyo hadn't even asked her a question.

Her stomach clenching with the uncomfortable subject change, Ukyo was about to object when she caught the look in her grandmother's eyes. "Grandma…?" Her own eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What is it? What do you know that I don't? Is there something about my engagement?"

Grandma simply shook her head slowly as she blew a smoke ring into the night. "Don't worry, Ukyo."

Convinced that she wouldn't get another word out of her stubborn old grandmother concerning the topic of her engagement, Ukyo settled down to drink her tea. "So, how's the shop?" She sighed as she prepared herself for some small talk.

* * *

The next morning as they got into the car after saying their goodbyes to her grandparents, Ukyo turned to Ryoga, wanting to get a word in before starting up the car.

"How did you like my grandparents?"

Ryoga smiled nervously. "They were nice. Your grandpa let me win at shogi twice."

"Before letting you _lose_ at it magnificently, right?" Ukyo grinned mischievously. "And my Grandma's an evil, old bag, admit it!"

His face turned flaming red. "N-not at all, she's…she's funny."

Ukyo laughed. "Funny, huh?"

"If I can deal with Cologne, your Grandma's not a problem." Ryoga admitted, showing a bit of backbone for once.

Delighted by his statement, Ukyo only laughed harder. Maybe she wouldn't have to apologize for her grandmother's behaviour, after all.

Feeling a bit daring, he added: "I can certainly see where you get your spirit from!"

The death glare she sent him next, however, made him wish he'd never spoken.

Silence reigned between them as they pulled back out on the road.

"Where are we staying tonight?" He asked after she'd broken the uncomfortable silence by announcing a couple of miles down the road that they were going to take a detour to visit Nara.

She shrugged. "I just planned on staying over at some hostel on the rest of the way, or barring that, I'd just sleep in the car for a few hours."

Ryoga brightened. _Now I might finally be able to repay her hospitality at least a **little**!_ "If you have a sleeping bag, we can stay in my tent."

"Great!" Ukyo looked elated. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to spend any money on a hostel!"

Ryoga chest puffed up with pride. "No problem." He said as nonchalantly as he could.

Once in Nara, of course they had to take a trip to the Todai temple to see the largest Buddha statue in Japan. Ryoga, however, was not impressed.

"Feh." Ryoga shrugged. "It's not _that _big. The one I saw in Thailand was much bigger."

Ukyo stared at him incredulously. "Is there anywhere in the world you _haven't_ been?"

Ryoga blushed a little as he noticed her stare. "I haven't been to _that_ many places! It's mostly to the countries closer to Japan and China, like Korea, Laos, Thailand …and that was just when I was following Ranma to China…and I've been back there once to try and find Jusenkyo, but I couldn't…"

Ukyo shook her head. "Sugar, I haven't even been to _Okinawa_!"

"Well, we should go sometime, then!" Ryoga blurted and turned even redder as he realized he'd just asked Ukyo to go on a trip alone with him— _but on the other hand, isn't that exactly what we're doing right **now**?_

Ukyo grinned. "OK, you're on, Hibiki! I expect you to show me around!"

Ryoga blinked. _She **accepted**?_ "Oh, uh…um, sure…"

"Let's go see the deer."

"O-okay..."

* * *

The deer were many, they had a tendency to frighten little kids, they tried to nibble at people's bags and they sort of...stimulated your olfactory nerve in a rather negative way.

"They really _stink_, don't they?"

Ukyo blurted out a laugh at his cynical comment. "Yeah, I guess you have a little point there." Ukyo grinned crookedly, shrugging, "Still, I'm gonna go buy some senbei for them. I'll be right back, okay?"

Just as she'd handed the senbei yatai guy the 300 yen, she felt a rain drop hit her nose, then her cheek, then the other in quick succession before it seemed like the whole sky held a grudge over the Todai temple grounds as it exploded, letting a thick sheet of rain drop. Ukyo gasped, stuffing her freshly bought senbei into her pocket as she ran over to where Ryoga had been standing.

Apparently, this time he hadn't been quick enough. What she found was a wiggling bundle of his clothes with a small, black pig in the middle, shivering with fear and disgust because a deer had walked over and was trying to either lick him or bite his head off; whichever it was, Ryoga wasn't having any of it as he kept squealing and hissing and trying to make himself look threatening.

Yelling at it and making shooing noises until the obnoxious deer wandered away with an indifferent glance at them, Ukyo unwrapped Ryoga from the soggy, dirty heap of clothes and met with his large, sad eyes before he averted his gaze in humiliation.

She didn't say anything. What _could_ she say? Scold him for making it _rain_?

Shouldering his massive backpack, she picked up Ryoga and his clothes, settling it all on her hip and supporting it in the crook of her arm, and opened the large, red umbrella over the both of them before she began trudging along. She just about managed, but the things were immensely heavy and she was forced to walk slower than usual, so she was grateful that she'd left her own stuff in the car.

The only thing she could think of to do was to go to the nearest handicap bathroom, which had to be at the subway. They were roomy and they usually had their own sink and most importantly, they were private and they were unisex. She didn't want to have to deal with a shell-shocked, naked Ryoga in a public bathroom for women, and she certainly wasn't going to go into the men's bathroom, either.

She put Ryoga on the lid of the toilet seat and got out the emergency thermos of hot water that he carried in his backpack for just such an occasion. She was glad he'd remembered to refill it before they left her grandmother's place. As she tipped its contents over Ryoga, she turned her head and closed her eyes to give him his privacy, then held out a towel and a pair of pants from his backpack. His fingers brushed hers at the exchange, and she found herself feeling a bit antsy as she realized that if she were to turn around right now, there would be Ryoga, naked and wet and towelling himself off. The worst thing about it was that it wasn't too hard to imagine him like that, either, since she'd already happened to see him just like that before, by accident…

She chided herself for even thinking it, but that didn't do anything to make her feel any better. When or why had she started thinking of Hibiki Ryoga like that?

A few minutes went by, during which she heard him rummaging around in his backpack and dressing himself, but suddenly she felt him just brush by her, storming out the door without a backwards glance, opening his umbrella to shelter himself against the rain as he went. She'd practically _felt_ the anger radiating off of him as he'd passed, and for one insane second she wondered whether or not he'd actually _read _her thoughts and was disgusted by her; she shook her head, perplexed at herself as she hurried after him. She saw him stomping across the gravel-laden yard, but then he ground to an abrupt halt in the middle of it as if he'd just remembered that he'd left something behind.

As she reached him, she could see his frame trembling with suppressed ki— the anger she'd felt actually _had_ been almost tangible— emanating from him in dark, ominous waves, full of tension and anger and something akin to hate, but at what, she didn't know.

She walked around to his front and had to stifle a gasp at the look on his face. She'd expected him to be red as usual, but he looked almost _white_ with anger, his mouth a strict line and his eyes shiny and glassy-looking— the hatred wasn't directed at her, she could tell; this was self-loathing.

"I _hate _this!" He hissed, looking away from her and down, flexing his fists; she could hear the warning creak of the bamboo umbrella's handle beneath his strong fingers.

"What?" She asked, and was shocked to hear how tiny and timid her own voice sounded.

"W-we were having a nice…a nice vacation and I'm so _stupid_, I should've felt it coming!" He sounded so pained, now.

"Felt what?" Ukyo asked, leaning in closer until the cloth of her umbrella touched his.

"The _rain_!" It would've been a wail if it hadn't been squelched. "You must be so ashamed, having to hide in the bathroom to…to help _a freak_!"

What, did he think she was_ ashamed_, that she felt some sort of _pity_ for him? Ukyo swallowed; gods, if he only knew what she _had_ been thinking…! For about a tenth of a second, she almost considered telling him, if only because the shock value would keep his mind off of his stupid depression. "Ryoga, I don't—"

"You know what the worst thing is?" Ryoga interrupted her, his voice trembling with fury.

"Ryoga…!" Again she tried pleading with him to stop it, but acting all sweet about it didn't seem to have the effect she'd hoped.

He only went on.

"Sometimes I actually almost _forget_ about the curse. Almost. Days, weeks— perhaps even _months _can go by, and somehow I've avoided it. But the moment I return to Nerima, some crazy old crone attacks me with a water ladle. Or someone gets a bright idea like holding a three-legged race in a maze of hot and cold springs!"

Ukyo steepled her fingers on her umbrella handle, tilting her head challengingly. She'd figured out her strategy; she'd give him attitude and she wouldn't let up until he stopped thinking in such a self-destructive, angry manner. "We won, as far as I recall." She reminded him.

Ryoga gave her an incredulous look. "Oh, give me a _break_! That was just _dumb luck_!"

"Really?" Ukyo narrowed her eyes at him, seemingly sizing him up.

"Hmm?" This caught Ryoga's attention.

"Think about it, Ryoga." She grinned. "While all the others were subjected to traps and challenges of various kinds, we were mostly well out of it. I just realized that while I was annoyed at the time--"

"And how!" Ryoga grumbled. Wow, this was going splendidly— he was even giving _her_ attitude _back_!

"Don't push it, jackass." Ukyo scowled. "I'm trying to give to give you a compliment here! Don't you see that your bad sense of direction actually kept us out of trouble for a while? What I realized was that all that sneaking around in attics and under the houses kept the onsen committee off of our backs for a while! And your Bakusai Tenketsu led us straight to the goal!" She finished with a smirk, contented over the look on Ryoga's face.

"Well..." Ryoga mumbled, having finally lost his momentum.

"Dumb luck or not…we _won_, didn't we?"

Ryoga gazed at Ukyo, her hands on her hips in a determinate manner, her smile as warm and pleasant as a hot, lazy beach. It was the eye contact that finally made it all too much, however. The effect of this view crept slowly up Ryoga's spine, warming him from within. He nodded, a sudden urge taking him to just _agree_ with her— anything to maintain that self-secure and teasing, yet somehow affectionate smile. His heart in his throat, he opened his mouth to speak—

WHAP!

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"I still don't forgive you for ditching me and tying me up with Shampoo." Ukyo said calmly.

"Hey, it was Ranma's idea!" Ryoga protested, rubbing his sore head.

"Which you instantly agreed to!" Ukyo retorted.

"Yeah, well, what with all the chaos, I thought it was my only chance to get rid of the pig!"

"WHAT!? Are you calling me a p—" Ukyo exploded.

"No, no, the curse, the curse of course!"

"Oh." Ukyo deflated. "Okay, I guess I can understand that." She paused. "But I still think it was really mean to--"

"Hey, what was I supposed to do? It's not exactly easy to run when you have two fighting girls stuck to your leg!"

"I was the only one who was attached to your le--"

"Well, you were still fighting!"

Ukyo harrumphed, blowing her cheeks up. "She insulted my Ran-chan and threatened my position as a fiancée. I had to do _something_!"

At the mention of 'Ran-chan' and 'fiancée', a lump formed in Ryoga's throat. _He's **not** yours!_ He wanted to shout at her. _He doesn't care about you like I do! _It confused him so much how, even after all they'd been through together lately, she was still referring to Ranma as her fiancée…and it confused him even more why he'd expected her to stop doing it. Ukyo wasn't his and Ryoga wasn't hers and— and his head was starting to hurt now, he realized. "Couldn't you have waited until after the race?"

"Hey, Shampoo isn't exactly the type to post-pone a fight, and besides, how was I supposed to know that you wanted to win the race because you were cursed? I thought you were just there for Akane, so I didn't really care. I mean," She amended quickly, "I wanted you two to get together and everything, but winning the race didn't really seem that all-important...had I known, though, I probably would have helped you. You should have just told me." She finished warmly.

"Yes, but...I'm glad it turned out the way it did. We had a nice time at Atami, didn't we?" He glanced at Ukyo shyly, his fingertips brushing her knuckles for a second.

Ukyo's eyes went wide at the almost electrical contact, but then she smiled. That warm smile again, the one that made his spine tingle. "At least when you finally stopped sulking, huh?"

Ryoga blushed again, nodding, any thoughts of a sharp reply to her teasing blown away under the force of her smile.

"It was too bad you didn't get cured, though." Ukyo sighed sympathetically, shrugging. "At least I made some profits at Atami. The tourist business was so great there!" Again, she turned on the billion gig watt smile. "I guess I should be thanking you, shouldn't I? Another odd stroke of luck because of your bad sense of direction." She chuckled softly.

Ryoga smiled timidly back, his own smile feeling pale in comparison with hers.

"Perhaps I actually _should_ help you? You know, take you to Jusenkyo sometime, to get you cured?" Ukyo suggested.

Ryoga froze. Another trip alone with Ukyo? The second one she'd suggested in only a matter of an hour? For a moment, he felt dazed, but— "No!"

"Wh-what?"

Ryoga reddened, embarrassed over his sudden exclamation. "I couldn't let you do that. Jusenkyo is too dangerous."

Ukyo grinned lopsidedly. "What, you're afraid I'll turn into a farm animal or something?"

Ryoga scowled at her, not amused. "Accidents do happen." He said snippily.

She cringed, looking sheepish. "Sorry. I guess I shouldn't make stupid jokes."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He mumbled.

"I did mean what I said, though." Ukyo ventured. "Maybe your sense of direction isn't all bad all the time, you know?"

"Thanks for trying to make me feel better, Ukyo, but…but it's…" Ryoga waved a hand vaguely. "It's a second curse to me. Most of the time it just feels so completely hopeless…to be unable to find your way, especially when you're a little kid, that's just..." His voice went thick, and he fell silent.

"Do you...do you want to talk about it?" Ukyo asked carefully.

Ryoga was still quiet, then he sighed. "I...I don't know. It would kind of be like...like..."

"Like opening old wounds?" Ukyo finished for him, understanding the pain of a difficult childhood.

Ryoga just nodded, looking away.

Ukyo shook her head slowly in contemplation, her eyes distant. "You must be pretty strong, Ryoga." She finally said.

"Hmm?" Ryoga looked up in surprise.

"If it had been me, all alone..." She glanced at him. "I mean, I didn't really have many friends growing up, so I was left by myself most of the time, but..." She sighed. "At least I had my mom for the first years of my childhood, and even my father." She worried at her tongue with her teeth for a while, frowning. "You were lost most of the time, but I always had a home, which I knew how to get to." She smiled weakly. "In fact, I think my sense of direction is well above average, even."

Her already transparent smile faded as she looked at the Lost Boy, realizing that the way she was talking now could almost be interpreted as if she wanted to rub his nose in his problems or something; he had been awkwardly silent during her little speech. Tangling the fingers of one hand into a portion of his baggy sleeve, she tried to smile as she tugged somewhat playfully at the fabric, trying to cheer him up.

"What I'm trying to get at with all this is...well, you should really be proud of yourself! Under those conditions, lesser men wouldn't have turned into as nice a guy as you are! It's easy for people to snap, you know, to go kinda crazy when you're isolated."

Ryoga eyes were astonished as they regarded her. He would never in a million years have looked at it like that; how was it that he had a tendency to feel a bit foolish after talking to her about his worries? How was it that she always made the world seem like a slightly better place, slightly brighter, just by telling him her opinions of him and his circumstances?

"_I'm_ proud of you, anyway." Ukyo told him firmly, looking him straight in the eye, honest and serious and yes…_proud_.

It was a wonderful thing for a person to hear, and he got an urge to taste the lips that had formed those wonderful words.

Ukyo looked into his eyes, her grip on his sleeve tightening as her legs stepped closer to him out of their own volition. At that moment, her head was only filled with a single thought.

_Kissmekissmekissmekissmekissme…! _

And she supposed it might be seen as quite old-fashioned to just stand there like an idiot, waiting for the _boy_ to kiss _her_, but time and again she got this niggling fear around him that he complied to her every whim just because she was forceful and bossy and because he had a low sense of self-worth, so she was afraid, in this situation, to just _take charge_. She needed for _him_ to take the initiative. She couldn't just _ask_ him to kiss her, either; if she sounded too serious, he might take it as an order, and if she sounded too pleading, she was afraid he might just do it out of guilt or pity.

She didn't quite know why it was _now_, right at _this_ very moment that she wanted it; maybe it was something in his eyes, the raw need that was there, maybe it had been the intensity of the conversation, maybe it was his damp, dark hair hanging limply across his forehead, contrasting strikingly with his blush-red skin, maybe it was the solid feel of his arm under her fingers, she didn't know…

Or maybe it was the way he was almost imperceptibly leaning closer, his lips looking soft and inviting…

All she could think was _kiss me…!_

And he did.

It just wasn't where she'd had in mind.

As his lips left her forehead, she felt her legs and her heart sag with the pain of losing the moment; it had been nice and sweet, getting that kiss, but she had wanted _his_ lips on _her_ lips!

She couldn't very well make an attempt at it _now_, though.

"Thank you, Ukyo," Ryoga told her; his voice was thick and slightly hoarse, and he was fidgeting with the sleeve she'd let go of in her disappointment. "It means a lot to me, your opinion of me…" His eyes, looking bright and slightly frightened, gazed into hers.

"Whether you believe it or not, the same goes for me, Sugar…" Ukyo replied, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. It was as if her lips were experiencing some sort of phantom pains due to the lack of being attached to other lips.

Ryoga felt like there was some sort of little creature running around in his skull screaming "COWARD! IDIOT! COWARD! IDIOT!" over and over again at the top of its lungs while occasionally kicking at his brain with spiky combat boots, and the voice sounded suspiciously like his own.

She'd been standing right in front of him, so,_ so_ close, she'd been holding on to his sleeve and telling him how proud she was of him while gazing deeply into his eyes and he—

He. Didn't. Do. It.

No matter how many words of encouragement she'd spoken…at that very moment, Hibiki Ryoga _hated_ himself. Hated himself for not embracing her like a real man and kissing her and holding on to her and only letting go when they needed oxygen or water or possibly a bathroom break…

But that was the trouble right there, he thought. If he'd kissed her then, he wouldn't have been able to control himself. He would've been too needy, too clingy, too desperate— just too overwhelming for her, and she'd have been frightened of him and his intensity and realized that he really _was_ a freak, a lonely, hormone-driven, affection-starved, deprived freak who would never let her go once he got his dirty mitts on her and— and he was just getting _completely_ carried away with constructing a nice little self-hating horror scenario in his head, wasn't he? What was he even _thinking_? If _Ukyo _had known what he was thinking, she'd probably hit him over the head with her spatula for being too depressing.

Sure, he was lonely and he wanted affection from her so much now that he could almost _taste_ it, but he was hardly some stalker or sexual offender and would never let any harm come to her in any way and gods, he wanted to _kissherkissherkissher…. _

It really was getting increasingly difficult to finish a line of thought these days, he thought as they walked side by side back to the car because they'd both decided they'd had enough of Nara for one day.

TBC.

* * *

**Author's note:** JEEZ! I just noticed I haven't updated this thing for more than two months! ARGH!

**Correction: **Ukyo couldn't really have gotten water from a public bathroom. In Japan, most public bathrooms only have cold water faucets. It's quite likely that Ryoga carries around some emergency hot water, though. Thanks to ainokitsune for reminding me.  
I'm obviously becoming forgetful in my old age, sigh. I'll be twenty-five in a couple of years, and then it's no turning back...

Thought I'd put the word explanations first this time.

**Michi Ni Mayotta:** An expression meaning "lost", or more accurately "I have strayed from the road/I am lost/I have lost my way". _Michi_ means road or way and _mayou _(past tense _mayotta_) means to lose or to stray/waver. The _I have/I am_ in this sentence is implied.

So, basically "I'm lost", which of course is always fitting in a story concerning Ryoga, but referring specifically in this chapter to the fact that he's managed to hang around for about an entire month and then gets himself lost in such an embarrassing way. It _was_ kinda Ukyo's fault, though…okay, a lot. :)

**Shirokuro:** Ryoga's dog is called Checkers in the English version, but I see no reason to translate the name since— as far as I know— none of the other names have been changed. It would be like calling Ryoga and Ukyo _Jack _and _Susan_ or something, although I have to admit that calling the dog Checkers isn't that far-fetched since Shirokuro means white and black or white/black.

**Haniwa: **The Haniwa are clay figures which were made for ritual use and buried with the dead as funerary objects during the Kofun era (source: Wikipedia). Takahashi Rumiko often makes her characters look like _the haniwa dancers _(hole for a mouth and eyes, flailing arms) when they're shocked or completely disbelieving— you've probably seen it in Ranma 1/2. I'm not sure if you can actually buy these as souvenirs or not— you're more likely to find them in museums— but for the sake of the story, let's pretend. _Someone_ must've tried making some money off of them, anyway.

**Nashi:** Japanese pear/apple hybrid. Has the size and shape of an apple, but the colour and taste is more like a pear. Good gods, they're tasty! Try them with yoghurt naturelle and cinnamon for breakfast!

**Daikon:** Giant, white, Japanese radish. This thing is huge! And oh, so good in vegetable soup!

**Uiro:** A kind of Japanese confectionary; a Nagoya specialty. It has a mild, subtle, yummy flavour, and it's not too sweet. The uiro shop I've described in this chapter is where I bought my uiro when I was in Nagoya. Cute shop, and the salesperson _was _in fact an old lady. :)

**Occhan:** One of Ukyo's friends from the manga, an old guy who's also an okonomiyaki chef and who has a head shaped like a spatula. Creepy. I'm pretending that Ukyo's dad knows him too since they're in the same business.

**Keigo: **Polite, formal grammar forms, especially used in the service industry, when writing formal letters or when addressing somebody above your station etc.

**Seiza:** A very uncomfortable sitting position for girls/women where you have to have your legs tucked under you and your back straight; you've probably seen it in Ranma ½, especially during the whole martial arts tea ceremony story. Ow, ow, ow…! After I while, I refused to do it anymore. I think I got away with not doing it because I'm a foreigner and haven't been doing it since I was little. Lots of modern, young Japanese people haven't been doing that either, though.

I'll have to apologize for all the random, secondary characters in this chapter, but I'll have to assume that both Ryoga and Ukyo have neighbours, and they were necessary to the plot, but they won't be returning, so don't worry if they were annoying. I usually don't like putting in original characters in Ranma ½ fics since there are way too many characters to choose from in the manga already, hehe, but these don't really count as original characters, I guess, more like background characters. I had to give them names, though.

As for Ukyo's grandparents, I guess they _can_ be viewed as original characters, but we can also assume that Ukyo might have grandparents, so they're not really that far-fetched, like out-of-the-blue Mary Sues and Gary Stus with perfect bodies and perfect personalities. Since they're grandparents and can be called Grandma and grandpa I didn't bother giving them names, and that's just as well, I feel. Ukyo's Grandma is partly modelled on Godai's high-spirited grandmother from Maison Ikkoku.

When it comes to Ukyo's father, he _was_ a character in the manga, even if only briefly. I've decided to call him Kuonji Masahiro. Luckily I won't have to make any wild guesses concerning his behaviour and his looks, which I had to for Ryoga's parents.

Sorry, sorry if anybody thinks Ryoga's parents were lame here. At least they're not original characters, but I had to make up some sort of appearances and names for them for the story. Ryoga's father _was_ an existing character in the manga, but we never got to see him as he was only mentioned when Ryoga was talking to him on the phone and when he read the note his father left for him during the whole Yoiko thing, when Ranma pretended to be his sister. Ryoga's mother was also an absent character; she has left him two notes in the house, one about having made him lunch and that she was going shopping (during the Yoiko story) and one about Ryoga having to be careful about the traps she'd set out for burglars (during the Akane/Akari farce at his house).

I had to do a scene with poor P-chan and the terrible deer in Nara. I was freaked out by the deer and imagined it would be even worse for tiny little P-chan. One or two of my friends have even been bit by them. Let's hope they don't turn into weredeer at the next full moon or something.

Oh, and the deer really did smell. A lot.

_"Sometimes I actually almost forget about the curse. Almost. Days, weeks— perhaps even months can go by, and somehow I've avoided it. But the moment I return to Nerima, some crazy old crone attacks me with a water ladle. Or someone gets a bright idea like holding a three-legged race in a maze of hot and cold springs!"_

--This thing is taken directly from my old, forsaken, crappy story The Fic That Started In Atami…just in the off-chance that somebody should recognize it, I thought I should mention it. I've scrapped the story, but I don't have access to my homepage anymore, so I can't actually _remove_ it. Some stuff from it can still be useful, though, I feel.

Jeez, there's been a lot of family gatherings this chapter, hasn't there? **Next chapter will have Ryoga and Ukyo coming to Osaka to visit her dad! Stay tuned!**

**Thanks for reading, **

**Ninnik **

P.S: Going to Nagoya Castle during Golden Week wasn't the smartest thing I ever did.


	6. Osaka I

**Omiyage: Osaka I**  
By Ninnik Nishukan

* * *

It was a little chilly that evening, and they were a little tired, so after they'd finished putting up Ryoga's tent, they didn't bother doing anything more complicated with Ryoga's camping kitchen than boiling some water for some instant cup noodles and some tea so they could get into their sleeping bags as soon as possible.

While they sat there eating and drinking, Ukyo's mind started to wander as she listened to the wind blowing through the trees around the campsite and the random squeaks and tweets from the occasional nocturnal bird.

She wanted to talk about something. As far as topics went, it was definitely among the top ten inappropriate things to bring up when alone with someone you were going to share a tent with at a virtually abandoned campsite in the night; it was probably somewhere around _'Did I mention I'm a bed wetter?"_ and _'Did you hear that strange noise over there, like a muffled scream?" _in levels ofability to disrupt a casual atmosphere.

Still, curiosity was getting the better of her.

She drew a deep breath and began. "Ryoga, this might sound a little odd, I don't know, but I was...listen, have you ever talked about, you know…have you ever talked about sex with anyone before?"

Ryoga sucked in a sharp, shocked breath at the question and abruptly choked on his tea; Ukyo knew him well enough to have already leaned out of reach of the resulting spray of beverage.

"Wh-what?" He asked in a hacking cough.

"Look, I'm not asking you to give me any graphic details or anything, I'm just—"She began again, rushing to give an explanation for her obviously unexpected choice of topic. "I'm just wondering because— I mean, I overhear things, and I've seen TV and I've read magazines of course, and I've had Sex Ed at school, but I've never really...talked about _real_ stuff, like...like attitudes and feelings, personal opinions about stuff...you know?" Looking at him, she smiled sheepishly, her eyes pleading with him to understand her need to talk about this with someone.

Ryoga shifted a little, ducking his head. Okay, that didn't sound as bad as he'd thought, but still…what was _he_ supposed to contribute with? "There's really n-nothing to talk about…" He said, his voice sounding a little odd as he was still trying to clear the tea out of his throat.

"You've never...?" Ukyo asked timidly, more anxious to hear the answer than she thought she'd be. Even as she'd asked it, she'd realized with a nervous jolt to her system that finding out the answer to this particular question was a big part of why she'd brought up the subject in the first place.

Ryoga's answer was quiet when it finally came, and he was still trying not to look at her. "N-no."

Her breath came out in a relieved puff of air. "Me neither."

"R-really?" Ryoga glanced up at her, eyes wide under his heavy bangs. It shouldn't matter to him, really, but the thing was that knowing this about her somehow made him relax a little. It meant that he didn't have to feel stupid in front of her for telling her about his own inexperience, but it also meant that she'd never slept with a certain pigtailed fiancée…

Ukyo looked troubled, but tried shrugging it off. "No. I've never...with Ran-chan...and we're engaged, so who else is there?"

She was surprised to hear him growl a bit. "_Anyone_ but him, that's who!"

Ukyo exhaled sharply at the intensity of his voice, averting her gaze after gawking at him for a moment. "Well, I don't know all that many guys," she went on, still trying to sound casual.

Ryoga pursed his lips and looked at her hard, as if trying to read her thoughts. "All I know is that you're too good for him— or maybe it's not even a case of that, I just— I don't know. It's not right, you and him. I don't like it."

He'd added the last part under his breath as if she wasn't supposed to hear it. "What's your view on…you know...pre-marital sex?" She asked him somewhat hesitantly, trying to change the subject because the look he wore on his face now was unsettling her. He looked discomfited and upset, as though he'd just blurted out something he rather he hadn't— like he'd spoken without thinking.

The fact that Ryoga seemed to really hate the concept of her having sex with Ranma made Ukyo feel very, very strange. Not uncomfortable, exactly, just sort of thrown, like she wasn't quite sure how to respond to it. All she knew was that it felt as if what he'd just said had contained some kind of _compliment_ for her somehow, and that didn't feel too bad. Confusing, maybe, but definitely not bad.

"Well…" He said after a pregnant pause. "I'm sick of all these fiancées and arranged weddings and all that crap, I can tell you that...because each couple should be able to decide for themselves. And it's a nice thought, I guess, saving yourself for marriage, but it shouldn't be viewed as wrong and sinful if you do decide to...well, y'know..." His voice trailed off then, and she could tell he was blushing.

"It's a couple's own business what that couple does, right?" Ukyo smiled a little.

"R-right." Ryoga said then, some of the fervour leaving his voice as if he felt like he'd just been a bit too forward.

Ukyo decided then that they'd probably exhausted the topic of sex for now; she didn't want to make him even more embarrassed, and she didn't know what else she could ask him about without it sounding inappropriate. A subject change was definitely in order.

"So, um…what do you want to talk to your parents about when you call them?"

* * *

Akane found him sitting on top of the roof, currently in his girl form and looking tired and annoyed.

"What happened to you?" She asked as she walked over to him.

Ranma looked up, mildly surprised to see her up there. Seeing her in her slippers and her pyjamas reminded him how exhausted he felt right then, but noticing that she'd brought him a kettle of hot water also reminded him the fact that things had begun to become a little easier between them as of late. This made him want to stay and talk even if he was tired. Things weren't _easy_, they were simply _easier_; just enough to allow him to feel as if he could tell her things without needing to shove a dozen insults into every sentence he uttered just to create some emotional distance.

"Oh, apparently Shampoo had found out somehow that I'd been to see baseball with Ukyo that time…so she got mad…Mousse showed up…and I think maybe at some point Happosai and a horde of angry women trampled me and Mousse…and Kuno might have even made an appearance, I don't know…it was really chaotic…" He shrugged.

"The usual, in other words." Akane smiled wistfully. What could you do?

"Yeah…" Ranma sighed. Not having to worry about Ryoga anymore had made him too careless; he should've remembered he still had two rivals left, as well as three fiancées as well as one borderline case who had _delusions_ of being his fiancée. The only fiancée he'd mind losing was the one standing in front of him at that very moment. The only way she could stop being his fiancée without it breaking his heart was if she became his wife instead…or, uh, his girlfriend.

No need to rush, right?

"Akane?" He looked up at her. "Before she ran off from the baseball match, Ukyo said something about someone who was waiting for her…think it was Ryoga?"

A smile tugged at the side of Akane's mouth. "Most likely."

"Yeah, I mean…who else could it be?"

Akane nodded. "I hope it's him, for his sake. It would be good for him."

Ranma watched her out of the corner of his eye. "So…you don't mind if Ryoga has a girlfriend?"

"Huh?" Why was he asking her this?

Ranma frowned a little. "I mean…you don't think of Ryoga that way, right…?" He'd always been upset over the way she tended to play him out as the "bad guy" and describe Ryoga as this "nice, polite boy" and he'd always been a little jealous. Ryoga managed to do things he never did, like avoid getting into shouting matches with Akane and actually managing to compliment her and bring her gifts, and he'd always felt a little threatened by that.

"We're just friends, Ranma." She shrugged.

He grinned briefly. "Good."

Akane blinked at him. Did he just…? "Why is that good?"

Ranma froze, gulping. "Well, uh…he and Ukyo have a thing, right?"

"Somehow I got the feeling that's not what you meant." She said, her voice slipping into a tighter, icier vein. "How silly of me."

Ranma could tell she would get mad if what he said next was the wrong thing. There was silence for a while as he thought frantically. "You know I don't like other guys to…uh…well, to flirt with you and stuff," he finally managed to press out, hoping it would be enough.

"Ranma…" She said softly, not knowing how else to respond when he'd actually been able to say something truly _nice_ to her for a change.

He laughed a little self-consciously, trying to avoid her gaze; she always made him nervous when she looked at him like that. It was the look that told him that she _didn't_ think he was being a jerk for once. "Not that I'm much of a _guy_ at the moment…" He said, glancing down at the curves of his cursed form.

Akane studied him thoughtfully, and then picked up the kettle of water she'd brought for him. It should be cold enough not to scald him now.

Ranma flinched a little at the shock of hot water suddenly running down his body and looked up at Akane in askance. "I think you're a great guy, Ranma." Akane smiled one of those rare, sunny smiles at him and he swallowed. "Yeah, you say that now," he joked lamely, avoiding her eyes, "but in about five seconds I'll say or do something you don't like and you'll kick me into orbit…"

Akane grinned as she sat down on the roof next to him. She had made up her mind. "No, you won't."

Ranma looked at her with incredulity. "How do you know that?"

Akane let out a breathless giggle; she couldn't believe she was about to say something so _corny_…but whatever worked was fine by her. "Because your mouth will be busy!" She told him firmly and leaned over to grasp his upper arm for support as she put her lips on his.

Ranma let out a squelched sound like _"Mmpphh!"_ as they connected, his shoulders stiffening, but then she felt his entire body sag and slowly…he opened his mouth against hers just a tad, and she sighed with the soft, wet pressure of his lips moving against hers. He hugged her firmly against her then, and she moaned a bit at the feeling of finally being held properly by him.

When had she ever _not_ known this person? It felt like a lot longer than two years…

Ranma pulled back after another while, looking dazed and flushed as he stared into her eyes. "Akane…you really have got guts!" He grinned as he looked at her admiringly.

Akane grinned back. "Maybe I was just getting impatient?" She teased.

Ranma laughed a little, but soon fell serious once more. "Akane?"

"Yes…?" She said expectantly. His expression was hesitant and a little wretched as if he really wanted to say something but couldn't get it out.

"I just wanna say…all the other girls, I mean, they're not…you're…you're the one that…I mean, how I feel is…about you, I…" He swallowed heavily, taking a deep breath and releasing it noisily. "Do you know what I'm trying to say, here?"

"For once…yeah, I do…" She laughed softly. "And Ranma?"

"Yeah?"

"Me too."

Ranma sighed with alleviation, his hand finding hers and weaving their fingers together. "Good."

She was finally his and he thought…_I'm not messing this up ever again. _Of course, deep down he knew he probably _would_ at some point, but it didn't matter now.

Now, they'd crossed the line that none of them had wanted to and then hadn't dared to cross for the last two years or so.

And Ranma was perfectly fine with that.

After another couple of minutes of silence, he dipped his face down towards hers again. He wanted another kiss and he didn't think he'd have to ask for it.

He didn't.

* * *

Ukyo awoke in the night, noticing that she seemed to be resting against something warm and solid. When she managed to figure out what this was, her eyes were full of wonder as she lay there in the dark.

The fact of the matter was that Ukyo's face really did fit very, very nicely in that warm, triangular little pit between Ryoga's shoulder blades.

Just like she'd thought.

It would've been so easy to fall asleep again just like that, resting against his back; the tent was chilly and Ryoga was very warm. She guessed it was innocent enough— it wasn't as if she was groping him or anything; her hands were tucked firmly inside her own sleeping bag— but she didn't want to wake up to an awkward situation, and it felt a little wrong to be doing this when he was asleep, even if it hadn't been on purpose.

She sighed as she rolled over on her back and away from the warmth of him, wondering how he might've reacted. After spending a few minutes of fruitless pondering, she forced herself to relax and closed her heavy eyelids, yawning. He'd smelled really good…

When he heard her breath even out and a soft snore starting up on her side of the tent, Ryoga let his own breath out and slumped onto his back as well, staring up into the grey shadows of the tent canvas hanging overhead.

Right then, he didn't quite know if he should feel happy about suggesting to share his tent or if he should regret it.

There hadn't been an unpleasant atmosphere, exactly, when they'd went to bed tonight, because they were used to sleeping in the same room already, but it had been different. The space of the tent was more cramped than Ukyo's bedroom, and since she used a Western bed at her apartment while he slept on a futon on the floor, there had never been any danger of them bumping into each other in their sleep on ending up this close together, since Ukyo didn't have a tendency to fall out of bed in her sleep or anything.

Lying in sleeping bags next to each other like this just felt more…intimate, in a way, because he knew if he rolled over to his right, he'd be resting against Ukyo's shoulder…

Besides, it just felt different when it was _his_ tent instead of _her _apartment, for some reason, just like it had felt different when she'd been in _his_ room in _his_ house; he knew it was silly to have been nervous about that since he'd been living at her apartment for a month already at that point, but somehow it had just been something else.

Maybe it was because he, like a lot of boys his age, had been dreaming about getting a girl in his room for years, which was why it had startled him so when it had actually happened, even if it had just been a short stop to pick up some clothes for himself. Just the image of Ukyo sitting on his bed had been enough to make his mind whirl off into fantasy land for a few short seconds.

And now, hearing the sound of her steady breath mingle with his in his tent, where he'd spent night after lonely night wishing he could have the warm presence of a girl breathing soothingly next to him, it was just different. Even if he'd already been conditioned to listening to her breath nearby as she slumbered, this was something else entirely, simply because of the change of location.

When the rain started pitter-pattering softly against the tent, he wondered how long he'd been lying there, thinking. Another few minutes went by when he noticed that a small puddle of water was starting to form in the corner; he wrinkled his nose and manoeuvred his sleeping bag a little further over to Ukyo's side of the tent, so he wouldn't get wet.

Just so he wouldn't get wet.

* * *

They spent all of the next day driving to Osaka. When they stopped at a diner to have some lunch, Ukyo took the opportunity to call her father from the pay phone outside, excusing herself for a minute while Ryoga ate.

She figured it was best to give her father a little heads up before bringing what was basically a stranger home with her. Thankfully, her dad didn't have any objections to it, although there _was_ an awkward moment when she had to explain that the friend she was travelling with was in fact _not_ a girl, like her father had assumed.

"_So who is this boy?"_ Her father asked suspiciously.

"His name is Hibiki Ryoga and he works for me at the restaurant," There, that sounded all nice and professional, didn't it?

"_How old is he?"_ He asked immediately.

"Dad!" Ukyo sighed in exasperation.

"_Well, I have to **ask**!"_

"Same age as me, not that it matters," she mumbled.

"_Where does he go to school? Where does he live? And how did you meet him?" _

"Dad!"

Ryoga blinked, chopsticks halting halfway to his mouth as he caught sight of Ukyo through the diner window. She was yelling into the phone and gesturing frantically, rolling her eyes and looking deeply annoyed, and he wondered what in the world she and her dad were talking about.

* * *

When they'd had their lunch and refilled the gas tank, they started on the last portion of their drive to Osaka. This time they didn't make any stops to see anything along the way, as they just wanted to reach their destination before dinner.

"I hope you slept okay, since you had to sleep in a tent and all," Ryoga said, feeling as if he needed to start up the conversation this time, since Ukyo wasn't saying much at all.

Ukyo hemmed and hawed a bit before answering; all she knew was that in the morning, she'd woken up with Ryoga's sleeping face just inches from her own. What was she supposed to say about _that_? "It was nice, you know, for a change." She said eventually. "I haven't been camping since I went to Yomogi Valley with Ran-chan and Mr. Saotome."

"Oh." He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I remember that."

"What happened back then, anyway?" Ukyo asked then. "You came flying out of nowhere, looking like a mess!"

"I…I did?"

"Yeah! I had to literally _drag_ you to your tent to fix you up, you know!" Ukyo exclaimed.

"So…" Ryoga looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "So…_you_ did that?"

Ukyo scoffed. "Who else do you think was gonna clean your wounds? The lamebrain panda?"

He turned to her slightly, watching her profile. "Guess not."

"Damn right!" Ukyo frowned. "And even if we might've not exactly been _friends_ back then— well, I'm not _that_ heartless!

Ryoga smiled briefly. _Never said you were…_ "Ukyo?"

"Yes?"

"That's really…"

"What?"

"…thanks." Ryoga said, meaning it. "Thanks for helping me back then."

Suddenly Ukyo seemed to turn just a little reserved as she noticed him watching her. "I don't know who else would've done it," She said, her voice becoming less loud, "It was only me and Genma there when you fell since Cologne was asleep, and when Akane came back, she was busy patching up Ranma." Shrugging, she scratched her cheek a little, her eyes never leaving the road. "I figured I couldn't just let you lie there, and besides, you were…you know…" She glanced at him, uncertain if she should bring up the fact, considering how he felt about Ranma, "You were kinda worse off than Ran-chan, so…"

"Right." Ryoga mumbled, looking away. Wasn't that just so like Ranma? Even when he was the weakest man in the _world_, he could _still_ beat Ryoga…

Ukyo rolled her eyes; yep, she probably _shouldn't_ have mentioned that. For all of her jealousy of Akane in the past, Ukyo knew that she had nothing on the inferiority complex that Ryoga had when it came to Ranma. "So, are you gonna tell me what happened? When you woke up, you were saying that Ran-chan had…you know…that he and Akane…"

"Nothing actually happened." Ryoga explained in a low voice. "Ranma…Ranma just wanted to trick me into thinking that something had happened just so I would get mad enough to fight him without holding back."

"So…so they never…?"

"Not as far I know, no."

"Ran-chan…!" Ukyo smiled a little as she shook her head. "That was an insane plan! I just can't believe him sometimes! He really did _anything_ to get his strength back, didn't he?"

Ryoga shifted in his seat, looking out the window. "Pretty much."

"Good thing nobody ended up dead,"

Ryoga kept looking outside. "Yeah…" That night, either one of them might've ended up dead, really, and that was not a very nice thought at all—

He was stirred out of his reverie when Ukyo reached out to pat his head fondly.

Ryoga turned to stare at her, baffled.

"And it's a good thing you've got a solid melon on you, Hibiki," Ukyo grinned as she withdrew her hand. "Right?"

There she went again, pulling him back out just as he was about to start sinking into a new fit of depression. There was just no having a nice little self-destructive sulk when she was around, was there? "Right." He agreed, grinning fleetingly at her.

They drove on in silence for a while before Ukyo remembered something.

"Hey, I never asked you, by the way. What exactly _happened_ that day when you got lost last month?" She'd been afraid he'd simply left because he'd gotten tired of waiting— and he was so sensitive; he might have even thought she'd abandoned him, right?— but seeing as he wasn't mad at her when they met again, there must've been some other reason why he'd been gone.

Ryoga started a little; the question had come so out of the blue. "Well, um…" He looked down, fidgeting. "You see…old Mrs. Tanaka next door?"

Ukyo glanced at him, puzzled. "Yeah?"

"Well, she needed some help moving some boxes over to her car…" He went on reluctantly.

Ukyo sighed. She could guess the rest. Mrs. Tanaka couldn't have known that you should never let a Hibiki walk more than two steps outside of his front door unless you wanted him to get lost.

* * *

It was about seven in the evening when they finally made it there, and Ukyo was glad they'd made an early start of it. As she pulled into the well-known driveway of the Kuonji house, she felt so elated that she could hardly wait to step inside to meet her dad.

Apparently her father had been looking for them from the kitchen window, though, because he came out of the house as soon as they'd set foot outside the car. A big grin breaking out on her face, Ukyo practically bowled her father over when she barrelled into him to give him a hug.

"Hi, dad!"

Ryoga watched the reunion scene with mild amusement, even as he was feeling slightly out of place. Ukyo's father looked exactly like in the picture in her room; a heavy set, strong-looking, bearded man who was now busy giving his daughter a real bear hug.

"I've missed you too, Ukyo," Mr. Kuonji said, chuckling over his daughter's affectionate greeting. When he looked up, he meet the gaze of the young man she'd brought with her, who immediately seemed to get nervous at the attention. If he was as shy as he looked, her father figured, he probably hadn't dared to try anything with his firecracker of a daughter. _He better have not_. He looked like a nice enough boy; he didn't have any tattoos or piercings or bleached hair, so at least he probably wasn't in the yakuza or a wannabe yakuza. Sure, the boy's clothes were a little worn, but so was his, since he tended to get a little too attached to his clothes, so he couldn't really use that as a strike against him.

The boy was as young as his daughter and had a face that any mother would approve of, but in his experience, fathers tended to think a bit differently than mothers, and Mr. Kuonji was no exception. "You must be Hibiki Ryoga," He said, not unfriendly as he let go of Ukyo and reached out to take the boy's hand.

"Y-yes," Ryoga nodded, finally springing into action as he went forward to meet Mr. Kuonji's handshake. "Nice to meet you,"

"Kuonji Masahiro." Ukyo's father nodded. "Nice to meet you," The boy had a very firm handshake, and Masahiro could feel the underlying power there, practically humming under his skin— he had to be one of those _particularly_ strong martial artists— but despite what some people thought, a firm handshake wasn't actually a guarantee for the trustworthiness of somebody's character. He'd have to make up his opinion about the boy _after_ Golden Week.

Ukyo seemed pleased over how well the exchange had gone, and as they unloaded their luggage from the car and carried it into the house, she kept up a stream of excited chatter, telling her father all about how her restaurant was doing and all about their trip.

"…and, dad, you know what? Ryoga got me uiro from Grandma's shop! Can you _believe_ it? He didn't even know! It was just a coincidence! It's so cute!" Ukyo's enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming for Ryoga, yet he was pleased to have made her happy.

"Cute." Masahiro echoed gruffly, squelching a laugh in his beard. He hadn't seen his daughter like this for a while; that was one point in the favour of the Hibiki boy.

"Um…Ukyo?" Ryoga asked tentatively. "Do you think it's all right if I use the phone?"

"Oh, right! You still haven't called your parents, have you?"

"You can use the phone in my study if you need to make a private call," Masahiro offered graciously, guiding him towards the room.

"Thanks," Ryoga said, surprised but grateful.

* * *

There was no answer when he called up his mother's cell phone, and Ryoga was just about to hang up, trying to steel himself against the disappointment, when a voice suddenly spoke up at the other end of the line.

"_This is Hibiki Natsumi. Who am I speaking to?"_

Ryoga realized he'd been holding his breath, and let it go. "Mom…?"

"_Ryoga?"_

"Mom!" He burst out happily, warmth pouring into his heart like tea into a cup. "I can't believe it's you!"

"_Oh! Ryoga!"_ He heard his mother laughing, sounding thrilled. _"Yoshio! It's our son! Come on!"_

"_Dad's_ there, too?" This was just too good to be true!

"_Yes!"_

"Where are you?" He asked eagerly.

"_Well, we're in Nagasaki right now. Or at least we think so. What about you?"_

Ryoga laughed. "I know I'm in Osaka."

"_Oh,"_ His mother seemed happy about that, _"did you finally meet up again with that nice Kuonji girl? I** noticed** she had an Osaka dialect!"_

"Uh, well," Ryoga faltered a bit, floored by the unanticipated question. "Yes, um, I guess I did. We're at her father's house."

"_Did you hear that, Yoshio?" _His mother said almost giddily, _"He's visiting Miss Kuonji at her father's house!"_

"Mom, it's really not—"

"_Ryoga, I hoped you've thanked her properly for giving you our number,"_ That was his father, now.

"Dad! Of course I have!"

There was a short silence, then: _"It's really good to be able to talk to you again, Ryoga,"_

His father's voice was very solemn, maybe even a little wistful, and Ryoga could feel a lump forming in his throat. "You too, dad."

"_And it's nice knowing you're not alone right now,"_ He went on, chuckling softly.

"Uh-huh," Ryoga mumbled, turning slightly too emotional to speak.

"_Oh!"_ His father sounded somewhat upset, then. _"Your mother says we're running out of battery!"_

"What?" Ryoga sat up, frowning," Okay," He said urgently, "Just let me say goodbye to mom!"

"_Ryoga?"_ His mother was back on the line.

"Yes?"

"_We have to hang up now, but we just want you to know we love you and miss you, sweetie!"_

Ryoga swallowed. "Me, too, mom, I love you, too,"

His mother laughed just a little. _"Maybe we'll see each other in Nerima one day,"_

"Maybe if you take the train there and then a cab to our house," Ryoga joked.

"_And then hire a guide, right?"_ His mother laughed again. _"Well, at least now we can call each other!"_

"Yeah. Say goodbye to dad from me, okay?"

"_I will,"_ She said, and he could just hear his father shouting a goodbye in the background before the line went dead.

"Hey," Ukyo smiled at the happy look on Ryoga's face as he came out of her father's study. "I guess you talked to your parents, huh?"

Ryoga nodded, returning the smile. "I called the construction site, too. They said I could come in on Tuesday."

"C'mon," She said, looking pleased as she took his arm. "Dad says dinner's all ready for us."

* * *

Dinner was, surprisingly, not okonomiyaki. It was a delicious, creamy chicken and vegetable stew with rice, and Ryoga was enjoying it immensely, concentrating only on his food and on happy thoughts of the phone call with his absent parents, his mind drifting gently away with the sounds of the idle small talk between Ukyo and her father. When Mr. Kuonji suddenly addressed him, Ryoga looked blearily up from his dinner, disoriented.

"So, Hibiki, what do you do?"

It was such a standard question, and Ukyo had seen it coming a mile away. Ryoga, however, seemed unprepared to answer it.

Lowering his chopsticks, Ryoga cast an anxious glance at Ukyo before answering. "Well, um…I'm still in school, so…"

"Any plans for after graduation?"

"Uh…" Ryoga was sure he had broken into a cold sweat.

"Besides working at my restaurant, Ryoga's been working in the construction business, dad." Ukyo cut in, coming to his rescue.

"Construction?" Masahiro raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah, he's got this really neat technique where you break rocks—"She paused, nudging Ryoga's side with her elbow. "Tell him, Ryoga."

"Oh, um, sure…it's called the Bakusai Tenketsu, I'm not sure if you've—"

A big grin broke out on Masahiro's bearded face. "_You've_ mastered an ancient Amazon technique?" He asked, starting to sound impressed.

Ryoga almost face-faulted. How did people _know_ these things? "Yes, I was taught by a Tribal Elder."

"Ukyo could use to learn something like that!" Masahiro rumbled jovially. "Right, Ukyo?"

The girl in question only groaned and hid her face in her hands.

"What else have you got?" Her father went on, getting involved.

"Well, there's the Shi Shi Hokodan…"

Masahiro's face went white. "You must be joking."

As Ukyo's father stared openly at Ryoga, he could feel the cold sweat coming back. "No…?"

"That's really dangerous, you know…and it takes a very certain kind of mental state to be able to pull off a perfect one." Mr. Kuonji's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he leaned across the table. "Have _you_ ever managed to do a Perfect Shi Shi Hokodan?"

Ryoga gulped. "Um…"

"Dad," Ukyo interrupted. "I really didn't bring Ryoga here just so you could interrogate him. He just wants to work at his old construction job again for a few days while he's here, okay?" She said sternly. "So why don't you leave him alone for a while? We're trying to have a nice dinner, here."

Her father seemed slightly ashamed as he sat up straight again, clearing his throat. "You're right," He nodded, "He's our guest."

Ryoga said nothing, only feeling bad for putting Ukyo in a position where she had to defend him.

* * *

When dinner was over and they'd had some dessert, Ryoga and Ukyo were growing pretty tired after their trip, so they decided to make an early night of it, while Mr. Kuonji was going to stay up a bit later to go over some paperwork for his okonomiyaki restaurant.

Ryoga and Ukyo brushed their teeth, and then, completely on automatic, Ryoga followed after Ukyo to her bedroom, his backpack in tow.

Just as Ukyo was about to let Ryoga into her room, her father came up behind them.

"Ryoga, you can sleep in my room, I've got an extra futon," Mr. Kuonji told him cheerfully, intercepting him by his elbow, ushering him down the hall.

Ukyo gaped after Ryoga as he was guided away from her, and caught him sending her one last helpless glance before he entered her father's bedroom.

It seemed they had both, somehow, just taken it for granted that he'd be sleeping in her room.

* * *

Ukyo sat on her bed, looking wistfully out into her old room. She'd brushed her teeth and put on her nightdress, and now it was time to go to sleep.

Alone.

She knew it probably made her pathetic or childish, but it had been very nice and reassuring to be able to sleep next to Ryoga again after a month or so of being alone without knowing where he was, and now the thought of lying in her old childhood room alone tonight was making her sigh heavily. She would be able to sleep, sure— it wasn't as if she hadn't been able to sleep while he was gone— it was just that it was…nicer…having him there.

The tent had been cosy, even if it had become slightly damp in the corners as the night progressed and it started raining. It had been warm enough, though, because she'd never slept that close to him before.

Even at her grandparents' house, they had been able to share the same room, since the house only had one guest room. Thankfully, though, Grandma had given them separate beds. Ukyo wouldn't have wanted to see the look that would've turned up on poor Ryoga's face if her leering, winking Grandma had told him he had to share a bed with her granddaughter. It was bad enough that she'd _joked_ about it. Lying next to each other when you were lying in sleeping bags with most of your regular clothes on and lying next to each other in your night clothes when you were lying in the same bed was just…different.

Now, though, the problem was that there was absolutely no way she could tell her father that she wanted Ryoga to sleep in her room. Explaining this to her father would be even more complicated than when she'd tried explaining it to Akane. There was just no way with which to explain that she preferred going to sleep knowing that Ryoga was there, even if he was just sleeping on the floor and he wasn't her boyfriend and she was in fact engaged to another boy.

None of this would make any sense to her father. Hell, it didn't even make much sense to _her_! He was her friend and everything, but it couldn't be normal for two adult, heterosexual _friends_ of the opposite gender to share a bedroom like that, could it?

Sharing a bedroom with Ran-chan when they were young was _one_ thing; this was something else altogether.

However, there _was_ the matter of Ryoga's lousy sense of direction. Ukyo wasn't sure if her father had the time or the understanding to guide Ryoga around the house in the mornings, to the bathroom and the kitchen, if Ryoga was to sleep in her father's room.

In theory, that problem _might _haveconvinced her father to let Ryoga share a room with her, but Ukyo didn't think it would actually be a good enough selling point, considering her dad had never seen this guy before, and she didn't want to humiliate Ryoga by explaining that he needed her help with something as simple as getting downstairs to the kitchen in the morning.

There was a knock on the door, then, derailing her train of thoughts.

She was slightly surprised to see Ryoga standing there when she opened, looking as if he had something to ask her that he really didn't want to ask.

"What is it?" Ukyo asked, tilting her head curiously at him.

"You father…apparently your father wanted me to put on something a little more 'decent' and not go 'parading in front of his daughter'…" Ryoga muttered sourly, his cheeks flushed. Sleeping in only an undershirt and boxers 'while there was a young lady present' hadn't seemed to cut it with Mr. Kuonji at all.

Ukyo held back a gasp, colour rising from her toes all the way to her hairline. "Dad _said_ that?" She asked in mortification, her voice at an impossibly high pitch.

Okay, _no_. No, she would definitely _not_ be trying to explain her wishes about the sleeping arrangements to her dad.

"Yeah," Ryoga nodded, "And he said I had to borrow something to sleep in from you, but I don't think…um…I mean, you're a girl…"

Ukyo sighed in exasperation; of course her father wouldn't have anything to lend to Ryoga. Sometimes she wondered if her dad had some sort of pseudo-love relationship with the one pair of faded, old pyjamas he'd owned forever, because he'd never bought another pair, and he could certainly afford it. "Yeah, I'm a girl," She told Ryoga flatly, "But I'm sure you haven't forgotten how I used to dress?"

"Oh. Right." Ryoga grinned sheepishly. "But do you think it'll fit me? I mean, you're not exactly…um…"

"What?" Ukyo grinned teasingly as she opened her wardrobe. "Tall? Beefy? Manly?"

"Uh, yeah…" Ryoga's voice trailed off as he caught sight of the contents of her wardrobe. There wasn't a dress or skirt in sight, only row upon row of modest black, blue or brown slacks, T-shirts and sweaters, white dress shirts and old school uniforms, and as for the shoes at the bottom of the closet…well, she must've worn them with extra soles and two pairs of socks to get them to fit. They were all shoes for guys.

Feeling his eyes on the back of her head, Ukyo turned to him guardedly. "What?"

"Just, um…" He shook his head, growing aware that he was being rude. "I was just a little surprised."

Feeling suddenly exposed, Ukyo continued her search through the wardrobe so she wouldn't have to meet with his astounded stare.

"I know you said you used to dress like a guy, but I just thought…uh…" He scratched his head, looking for the right words. "I guess I thought it was just at school or something."

"Nope," Ukyo said jokingly, trying to sound unaffected despite the slight tremor in her voice. "It was pretty much a twenty-four-seven kinda deal."

"Okay." Ryoga decided to leave the topic alone; she was obviously uncomfortable talking about it. He figured he didn't have anything to say, anyway; cross-dressing, no matter the reason for it, was a far sight more normal than having, say, an ancient Chinese curse that turned you into a piglet.

"Here's one," She said as she resurfaced from her hunt through the many drawers and shelves of her wardrobe. "It's always been too big for me," She brandished a pair of chequered flannel pyjamas, "So it should probably work out for you. Might be a bit short in the legs, but I'm sure it'll be fine."

"It'll be too hot sleeping in these," He said, a slight whine creeping into his voice. It was May, and it was already getting to be pretty muggy outside.

"Well, it's either that or facing the wrath of my dad," Ukyo smirked mischievously. "_You_ choose."

Ryoga groaned in defeat. "I think I'll take the uncomfortable sweatiness, thank you."

Ukyo smiled wryly as she handed him the pyjamas. "Good choice."

He gave a muffled laugh. "Good night."

Just about to leave, Ryoga caught sight of a picture frame that was sitting on her desk. The picture it held showed a little girl that had to be a very young Ukyo, and that little boy sitting next to her, _that_ looked like—

"It's me and Ran-chan," Ukyo told him, walking up behind him. "When we were kids."

"Yeah, I figured." He said softly, not quite knowing how he felt about her having a picture of Ranma in her bedroom, even if it had to be more than ten years old.

"Happier days and all that, huh?" She remarked sarcastically.

He got the irrational urge to just throw the picture out the window to rid her room of this shadow from the past, but he had no place doing that, and besides, Ranma was in her life again now, trying to make an effort, trying to be her friend once more. So Ryoga couldn't really hate him like he had, not anymore. Breaking an old picture out of petty jealousy wouldn't change anything. And it had to be a cherished memento for her, that photograph, if she'd still kept it on her desk after all those years.

What had he expected to find in her old room, anyway? A frameless picture of Ranma pinned up on the wall so she could throw spatulas at it? Even with her decade-long search for vengeance, it didn't sound like something Ukyo would do.

Ukyo had probably still loved Ranma, and that had to be why she'd been hurt enough and had cared enough to follow him to Nerima.

And that hurt a little, even if he didn't know how she felt _now_. And it made him want to say something, anything, just some sort of question that would let him know what she thought about it all.

Clutching the borrowed pair of pyjamas in his hands, he braced himself. "Um…Ukyo?"

"Yes?"

"…nothing." He shook his head, feeling stupid; it was none of his business. "Just…good night."

"Good night."

* * *

Ukyo sat up in bed, shaken awake by the sound of someone cursing softly and hissing in subdued pain, as if they'd just stubbed their toe or hit their knee or elbow on something.

"Dad?" She called out uncertainly, reaching out to turn on her bedside lamp.

"Oh!" A bright red Ryoga stood awkwardly by the door, nursing one elbow in his hand. She noticed that her pyjamas were in fact too short for him, baring his ankles and wrists and making him look just a bit silly. "I…I was just c-coming back from the bathroom—Looks like I g-got the wrong room! Excuse me…!" He stuttered before turning to leave.

Ukyo couldn't hold back her amused smile. "No problem, Sugar. Good night!"

"Good night," Ryoga replied.

She was just about to turn off the light and go back to sleep when he turned in the doorway.

"U-Ukyo?"

"Mmm?"

"I…um…well…it's…"

"What?"

"Y-you see…when you were, um…" He hadn't been able to say it in the car two days ago when they'd been reunited, and he'd realized now that it had been nagging at him, somewhere in the back of his mind. He had to say it; it was now or never!

Ukyo raised herself up on her elbow to be able to look at him better. "Ryoga?"

He was flushed and his eyes looked a little too bright. She watched with fascination as his Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed. "The thing is…" He waved one large hand in a vague gesture, and she found herself unconsciously following its movements. "When I was lost, I…" He looked over at her and she was startled just the tiniest bit by the direct eye contact. "I missed you, too, Ukyo." He shuffled his feet a bit and added: "A lot."

She drew in a sharp breath; she really hadn't expected him to say that, and it was just a little overwhelming how _much_ it made her feel, the way the words sounded coming out of his mouth and the way he looked when saying them. Her own, rather rushed and meek admission to having missed him seemed pale in comparison. The sincerity of his statement made her forget all about him wearing her old, faded pyjamas that were a size or two too small for him; her attention was focused solely on his face now.

"Really?"

He nodded nervously but solemnly. "Yeah…I just seemed to notice that…you know, I'm used to being alone and everything, but…" Ryoga looked down bashfully. "But I don't think I've ever felt as lonely as I did then…and I know that it was because you weren't around."

Ukyo couldn't have contained the broad smile that spread on her face even if she'd wanted to. "I'm glad to have you here, Ryoga."

"I'm glad I'm here." He agreed quietly, nodding.

In the hallway, he paused, holding her door open and glancing timidly back at her. "Um, which door was to your father's…uh…?"

Ukyo smirked, pointing across the hall. It was probably wrong of her, but she still couldn't help finding his abysmal sense of direction funny sometimes. "Straight ahead. Yep, that one, you're holding the door knob as we speak, yeah, that's right…"

"Good night again." He replied, dipping his head in a shallow bow of thanks as he closed her door behind him.

"Good night, Ryoga…!" She called after him in a stage whisper, suddenly feeling comfortingly warm. She was asleep within five minutes.

* * *

The next morning, they went for a walk after breakfast so Ukyo could show Ryoga around the area and so they could go to one of the local flea markets.

Ukyo had put on a yukata, and it was nicer than the casual ones he'd seen her wear around her apartment in Nerima; it had a nice white pattern of dragonflies on a dark red background, tied with a dark blue obi. She had her hair piled on top of her head, exposing the graceful curve of her neck, and when he regarded her as she walked carefully next to him in a pair of dainty geta, holding on to his arm so they wouldn't get separated by the crowd, he got a little lump in his throat.

He knew he was a hopeless romantic, but he'd always wanted to do something like going out with a pretty girl in a yukata on a nice, warm day and having her slip her arm around his.

"Where did you get the yukata?" Ryoga asked, trying not to lose himself completely in his sappy daydream. Besides, considering he'd already seen the very masculine contents of Ukyo's wardrobe, he had to wonder.

"Dad bought it for me sometime last year, I think." Ukyo smiled in slight embarrassment. "He said he wanted me to start dressing more femininely."

"And did you tell him you'd wear whatever you wanted, anyway?" Ryoga asked, grinning knowingly.

"Yeah," Ukyo admitted, blushing slightly.

"I think you _should_, too," He said supportively, before adding: "But I have to admit it looks pretty good."

"_Looks_ good, maybe, but I feel like a penguin walking in it." Ukyo nodded, giggling. "The ones I wear at home aren't so tight, and I don't wear the high-heeled geta or this complicated hairdo…it all makes it kind of hard to move, really," She looked up at him, lifting an eyebrow. "Can you honestly see me being able to run more than a few feet in this before falling flat on my face?"

He chuckled. "Why are you even wearing it, then?"

Shrugging, she smiled coyly up at him. "Maybe I just wanted to look nice."

Caught in her gaze, Ryoga gulped, his eyes travelling across her hair, her face and her elegant neck, where soft, tiny tendrils of hair were curling with the warm weather. What did she mean by that? Could she really mean she'd dressed this way for _his _sake…? No, she couldn't— or maybe she felt like she had to wear this because he'd made those thoughtless comments about her old wardrobe last night—

"Hey! Look over there!" Ukyo suddenly exclaimed. "Taiyaki!"

"Huh?"

"Taiyaki!" She repeated eagerly. "C'mon! Let's get some, okay? I haven't had one of those in a long while!"

"R-right…okay…" He stuttered as she dragged him along.

* * *

After having taiyaki and fried sweet potatoes, trying to win the raffle, Ukyo having to haul Ryoga away from the arm wrestling machine before it broke and after snooping around for nifty used goods for a few hours, Ryoga had ended up buying another ridiculously heavy souvenir— a giant Lucky Cat this time— while Ukyo had ended up buying an oversized okonomiyaki sauce bottle that she was planning to send home by crate so she could put it outside her restaurant as advertisement.

Unfortunately, at the end she'd also picked up a bit of a mood.

"I can't _believe_ you ate okonomiyaki from that stall," She fumed, glaring at Ryoga as they started on their way home.

"I was hungry!" Ryoga objected, not understanding what the big deal was.

Ukyo gave him a look as if he was nuts. "Did you _see_ the quality of those ingredients?"

"Looked fine to me," He said, shrugging.

"Well, yeah, you're not an expert, are you?" She shot back snippily. "And they had absolutely _no_ sense of craftsmanship! Those okonomiyaki were being treated like they were tossed salad! They ended up completely shapeless! And way too thick! They looked like _Hiroshimayaki_, for goodness' sake!"

The other okonomiyaki cooks in the city had always been jealous of her and her father, she thought angrily, but if this was how their okonomiyaki looked, they _should _be jealous!

"Jeez, Ukyo!" Despite the silly topic, Ryoga was beginning to get a little irritated. "It was just a little okonomiyaki stall at a local flea market, it's not like they were competing for the Golden Spatula or whatever!"

Her eyes narrowed; was he making _fun_ of her? "Look, I _know _okonomiyaki, all right?" She put her hand on her hip, tossing her hair defiantly at him. "And _that_ wasn't good okonomiyaki!"

"Ukyo, come on!" Ryoga let go of a heavy sigh. "Not everybody takes okonomiyaki as seriously as you, okay?"

She halted, irrationally hurt by something that probably hadn't been intended to hurt her at all. In Osaka, kids had been teasing her most her life for her gung ho devotion to okonomiyaki and for her giant battle spatula; almost as much as for her gender complex, in fact.

She couldn't bear it if even _Ryoga_ thought it made her weird.

So she did the only thing she could think of, and lashed out. "If _you_ of all people are telling me I'm taking things too seriously, then I must be _really_ bad, huh?"

"What…what are you saying?" Ryoga asked cautiously, regarding her with apprehension.

"You're not exactly Mister Sunshine, are you?" She went on, hearing the words coming out of her mouth but not understanding why they _were_.

His face tightened, as if he was trying to brace himself against what she was saying. "Ukyo?"

Her throat constricted as she looked at his confused expression. "Sorry," She said, her agitated tone deflating as she looked away for a minute before meeting his eyes again. "It's just…sometimes it's strange for me, coming back here." She shrugged, attempting to appear unruffled. "It's okay if I'm just at the house, but around here I guess I'm always sort of worried I'll run into someone from the old days…"

"Oh." Ryoga blinked. He was just as amazed every time it turned out that Ukyo wasn't as confident as she seemed.

"Maybe I'm a little too serious about okonomiyaki, but it's just that it's always sort of been my life, you know?" Smiling a little self-deprecatingly, Ukyo looked away. "But I'm sure you don't wanna hear about it, right?"

"What?" Ryoga raised both eyebrows in disbelief at her. "Are you _kidding_?"

"Hmm?"

"Ukyo," He said pointedly, "You've been listening to me sulk about my problems from the day you met me. How can I _not _listen to yours now?"

Laughing in astonishment, she gave him a grateful look. "Okay."

"Let's go," He suggested, and they left.

Ukyo smiled as they walked home; he never stopped surprising her.

* * *

When Ryoga spotted a large field on the way home, he insisted on trying a few of his techniques that he hadn't had the chance to try lately, and Ukyo relented since she'd always wanted to see how he trained.

There was only one problem.

Mud.

Lots and lots of mud.

There was a conveniently big, grassy patch further on, but first you had to cross the mud.

"I can't walk through that wearing this," Ukyo told him, clearly signalling that her opinion was immovable.

"But—"

"I am _not _getting mud on this yukata." She shook her head slowly. "_No_ _way_."

"Okay." Ryoga sighed. "Looks like I'll just have to carry you, then."

"_What_?" Ukyo squeaked.

Wow, this boy was _really _determined to get some training in, wasn't he?

* * *

Two minutes later, they were almost past the mud, but Ukyo didn't seem to appreciate this fact at all.

"See? I should've never have worn that stupid yukata! Oh, gods, this is really embarrassing!"

"If you knew how heavy this massive backpack, this Lucky Cat and your novelty okonomiyaki sauce bottle feel right now, all piled on top of my back, in addition to me carrying you like this," Ryoga gritted out, "then you would be thanking me instead of complaining! And don't wriggle around! You'll make me drop you!"

Ukyo grinned impishly, backing down. "Sorry and thanks, Hibiki,"

"You're welcome, Kuonji."

Settling down a little, Ukyo leaned her face against his shoulder, secretly enjoying the closeness and the gentlemanly treatment. "I swear, you're as strong as an ox, Ryoga," She murmured. "No, wait…more like two or three of them."

"Fine, whatever you say," Ryoga muttered, his face starting to feel uncomfortably hot because of the compliment and the feel of her hair tickling his neck. "Just don't treat me like one."

When they came to the nice, grassy section of the field, Ryoga set her gently down and then dropped the heavy load on his back onto the grass, groaning when he was eased of the strain, stretching his muscles, getting ready.

"Now," Ukyo said expectantly as she took her spectator's seat at an old stone bench. "Dazzle me."

Ryoga nodded, cracking his knuckles.

When he'd gathered himself a suitable pile of stones from around the field and made the first stone shatter into nothing but gravel using only his index finger, Ukyo couldn't help herself and gave him a smattering round of applause, whooping in delight.

"Woo hoo!"

Ryoga grinned foolishly to himself. Nobody could call him vain, but he had to admit that getting that sort of attention from Ukyo felt pretty damn good.

"Bakusai…TENKETSU!"

* * *

After making sure the Bakusai Tenketsu was still in working order, he wanted to get in some punching practice by hitting trees, but Ukyo forbid him to do it, telling him she didn't bring him to her city just so he could deface the scenery.

So Ryoga began practicing the Shi Shi Hokodan.

It was giving him a little trouble, though.

"You know, Ryoga, you must be the only person I've ever met who actually manages to be depressed about _not_ being depressed."

"This was one of my best techniques!" Ryoga protested.

"How about you just try another emotion, then?" Ukyo tilted her head at him. "I'm guessing you have a more extensive emotional range than sulking, depressed and angry, right?" The Bakusai Tenketsu had been an entertaining little show, but Ukyo had been watching Ryoga for a while now as he tried and failed and tried and failed to do the Shi Shi Hokodan, and was getting to be a little bored. If it hadn't been for the fact that she was wearing such an expensive yukata, she might've been able to get in a little practice, herself, too!

As she'd watched him train, she'd been idly laying a plot to go back in time and have a very serious discussion with whoever had come up with the impractical, useless design of the yukata. And she'd be sure to bring her battle spatula with her.

Cringing a bit at the last comment, Ryoga bit the inside of his lip, worrying. Did she really think that was all there was to him?

Ukyo smiled disarmingly then and walked up to him. "Look, how about you try the Moko Takabisha? You've got _some_ confidence in there, right? You _must_ have!"

"I _really_ don't think that's the technique for me…" He said reluctantly.

"C'mon, Sugar, just give it a whirl, okay?" She grinned sweetly at him. "For me?"

Ryoga gulped. Gah, her dreaded trump card again. She really _could_ be quite manipulative…! "W-well…why not?" He stuttered.

Fifteen minutes later, though, he still hadn't produced more than a sad little puff of ki that wouldn't even scare a kitten let alone an actual, skilled opponent, and Ukyo sighed as she watched him from her seat at the stone bench. "Come on, Hibiki!" She yelled, egging him on. "What do I have to do, get out a cheerleading outfit and cheer you on? Wave a few pompoms around? Do a cart wheel?" She added sarcastically.

Ryoga flushed bright red, desperately trying to push any thoughts of Ukyo doing a cart wheel in a cheerleader's outfit out of his mind.

"I'm trying my best, here!" He retorted irritably, feeling put on the spot. Assuming the position again, he closed his eyes, tried to focus his positive ki, tried to build up his seemingly absent confidence and tried to—

"Okay, does _this_ help?" Ukyo's voice was suddenly right by his ear, her breath warm against his skin and then her lips, soft and a bit moist, were pressing against his cheek. His eyes snapped open as a huge burst of energy shot from his hands, completely missed the target, flew in an odd, ziggy-zaggy arch across the field and shattered the large boulder on the other side, splintering a few small trees in its path.

Ukyo gaped at the random destruction. "Um…what in the world was _that_?"

"Uh…dunno," Ryoga said feebly, feeling completely drained.

Ukyo looked at his pale face and wondered to herself what kind of emotion could have _possibly_ fuelled that thing. She didn't dare ask, though, seeing as there was little doubt that _she'd_ been the cause of it. Was it embarrassment? Shock? Or…something else?

Maybe she shouldn't have done it?_ But I just wanted him to get it to work!_ She thought wretchedly. Another thought, buried far deeper in her mind, also reminded her that she might've have wanted it for herself…

She noticed with alarm that Ryoga was shaking and she put a steadying hand on his arm, pulling him towards her to give him something to lean on. He started when she touched him, but she tried smiling at him despite her nervousness. "Come on," she said, putting his arm across her shoulders. "Let's get you something to drink, okay?"

Ryoga nodded faintly.

Their hips bumped together as they walked across the grassy field; Ryoga fought for a measured breath, the drain on his energy along with the almost burning sensation left by her kiss on his skin making him feel faint. The emotion that had caused whatever it was that had rocketed across the field had felt strangely like…like…passion? No, that wasn't quite right. It hadn't just been passion, it almost seemed like there'd been _more_ than one emotion. Surprise, certainly, and most definitely shock, but also passion and…admittedly some lust….and perhaps…joy? That had to be why it had acted so strange, he figured, because he'd felt so confused.

"I think maybe it was so weird because…b-because there was no focus on any one emotion." He told Ukyo hesitantly.

She nodded, shifting a little to get a better grip on him; his legs were still wobbly. "Well, that _would_ explain it." She glanced at his face, trying to figure it all out. "So…what kind of emotions do you think they were?"

Much to her alarm, his face flushed a deep scarlet red. "I...I-I d-don't know…c-could've been any number of…uh…I don't know…" She felt his fingers shift around on her hip as if he didn't quite know where to place them, and she noticed they were trembling. She had to look away when something strange, warm and cold at the same time, rippled through her body without any warning. Ukyo sucked in a breath and had to wonder who was supporting whose weight at this point; she was feeling quite weak now.

Ukyo felt her own frame vibrating vaguely against his side and realized she was trembling as well as they reached the spot where he'd dropped their things. Craning her head around to look at his reaction, she found him staring back and had to suck in another breath. What if she leaned up just a few inches and planted another kiss on his cheek? What would he do?

Ryoga was caught in her stare again, only dimly registering the fact that they had stopped walking completely. She was looking at him in a very unusual way, her eyes wide, her pupils fully dilated, her mouth slightly open, her breath a bit laboured and her hand gripping his side. What was she thinking? What did it _mean_? When she cleared her throat self-consciously, he jumped, stepping away from her and dropping his arms by his sides.

"I…I think I'm okay to walk now," Ryoga mumbled, his heart thumping.

"Oh." Ukyo ran a hand through her hair, trying to compose herself. "Yeah, sure, I just…" She frowned. "Let me take that, okay?" She said, unfastening her flea market souvenir from his backpack and hefting it up on her hip.

"Thanks." Ryoga nodded, looking away as he shouldered his backpack with the Lucky Cat still strapped onto it.

As they walked, Ryoga tried as best he could to pull himself together again. He had no idea how to act around Ukyo these days! There was just no frame of reference anymore; _anything_ could happen, it seemed! Why did his life always have to be so complicated?

"I'm…I'm sorry I kissed you…" Ukyo ventured meekly. "On the cheek, I mean…" She added; it always paid to be specific, right?

It felt like a kick in the chest; suddenly he felt like he might be able to do a _thousand_ Shi Shi Hokodans. _She's…she's** sorry**…? She **regrets** it? _Ryoga could hardly even find his voice; it was as if the wind had been knocked out of him. "What?" He croaked.

"It might've been, I dunno…inappropriate of me or something like that." She went on, looking at him surreptitiously from the corner of her eye.

_Okay, feeling **marginally** better now..._ "Wh-why'd you do it, then?"

Ukyo gave an embarrassed laugh. "For confidence. And for luck, I guess." Casting a glance at him, she ducked her head, her voice becoming small. "I just wanted to help you."

Ryoga swallowed. "Oh."

All of a sudden her face took on a serious expression; she still spoke quietly, but her voice sounded more whole, less timid. "What if I'd want to wish you luck another time?"

His mouth went dry. _Oh, gods…! _Was she saying what he _thought_ she was saying? He heard himself stutter something completely incomprehensible and watched her smile just a little. He took a breath and ran a trembling hand through his hair. "I guess…if you want to…I guess an unlucky guy like me could use some luck…" he trailed off lamely, not even aware of what in the world he was saying.

"Yeah…" She murmured, her voice soft and low as she took a few steps towards him. "You could use some luck…" As she took a hold of his arm to lean against him, she suddenly knew what they meant in those cheesy romance novels when they said it was like the pull of a magnet once you got close enough to…to someone you were attracted to. There was just no way to resist it. She tilted her head up to kiss his cheek, but somehow— whether it was consciously or not, she had no idea— her kiss landed somewhere halfway between his cheek and his mouth, one corner of her own lips accidentally brushing his just a little. They were barely even touching lips, but it was enough to send a jolt through her, and then he opened his mouth in shock and she could feel his breath puffing along her cheek and she froze.

What was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to get herself out of this?

Ryoga's fingers twitched, his heart moving a mile a minute, all the tiny little hairs on his body standing on end. Ukyo's lips were pressed against his cheek, he could feel the warmth of them against the corner of his mouth and her breasts were brushing against his side, her hand clutching his arm. He swallowed hard; he could feel himself getting dizzy and he knew that any second now he'd start getting a nosebleed. "Uh…Ukyo…?" He tried weakly.

Ukyo seemed to come back to reality then; she ended the lingering kiss by giving him a quick peck on the cheek, letting go of his arm and giving a little cough to break the tension in the atmosphere. "Good luck, Ryoga." She couldn't help but grin just a little, but her grin disappeared quickly as she saw how pale he was looking. Had she just freaked him out? Had she just been completely out of line?

"Ukyo…" He murmured softly, and to her dismay, she saw blood starting to trickle out of his nose.

"Ryoga!" She exclaimed, rushing to support him again as he wobbled dangerously on his feet. "Oh, Sugar…" She cooed in concern, stuffing a handkerchief into his hand. "Use this."

"I feel weird…" Ryoga mumbled absently, his eyes unfocused as he dabbed at his nose with Ukyo's handkerchief.

Ukyo shook her head worriedly. "C'mon, no more training for you today. Let's go home." She said, taking off her geta and walking barefoot when they got to the mud so she could support him, the giant okonomiyaki sauce bottle under one arm and Ryoga— who, despite his blood loss, still had to carry the humongous backpack with the heavy souvenir cat strapped to the back of it since she couldn't— on the other.

Even if they weren't too far from her father's house, the walk home was very, very long.

* * *

It wasn't until they'd gotten home and she'd put Ryoga on the couch with a cold cloth on his forehead and a cold drink by his side and had changed out of her yukata and into some normal clothes that she remembered exactly what Ryoga's nosebleeds usually meant. 

She forgot all about fussing over the now dirty hem of her yukata when the thought hit her. It hadn't been about straining himself too much with the Moko Takabisha. No, something had happened to make Ryoga…excited…and seeing as there was nobody else around at the time, the one that had made him excited would have to have been…

"Oh." Ukyo said quietly to herself; not knowing what else to do, she went into the kitchen to cook some dinner. Ryoga getting a nosebleed when Ranma had all but flashed him Ukyo's tits back when they'd first met, to make him understand that she was a girl— well, that might've been understandable, but getting a nosebleed from a kiss on the _cheek_?

Okay, so she'd leaned up against him, but surely he shouldn't have reacted that way? Right?

Her entire body felt suddenly quite high strung, and she realized that she'd just clenched some muscles she very rarely even _thought_ about. Her mind kept flashing back to her lips touching his skin and every time she thought of his breath teasing her cheek, it was as if her body did a strange little contraction that seemed to be focused around the area between her thighs.

A little later, when she waited for the dinner to cook, she went back into the living room and sat down next to the couch, where Ryoga had fallen asleep. Ukyo smiled a little as she watched his sleeping face, his relaxed body and—

Unfortunately, seeing him sleeping like that, she was reminded of a certain little incident the first night he'd stayed in her house and what she'd seen that morning, and her lower body clenched out of its own volition again. Gulping, she fled to the kitchen.

* * *

Some time later, Ryoga came stumbling into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes.

"I've been thinking…" He said without any preamble, looking a little preoccupied. "It's so weird. I mean, I've never been…Ukyo, I'm not depressed enough anymore!"

Ukyo blinked owlishly at him, amazed. Either he'd just forgotten everything that had just happened this afternoon, or he'd just gotten something else into his head.

It didn't seem like him not to be all stuttering and awkward after something like that. Fine by her, though, if there wasn't going to be tension in the air; she'd just managed to calm herself down and really didn't need him getting her all flustered again.

"Jeez, it's not _that_ important, is it?" She said, giving him a look as she wiped her hands on a dish towel. "You can just learn a new technique, can't you?"

"No, Ukyo, you don't understand, it's not about that— I've never been this far from depression before— do you have any idea how strange this feels for me? Is this what it feels like for you? Is this what it feels like to be normal?"

Ukyo laughed, bewildered. "I'm not sure if you should be using me as an example of what's normal, Ryoga!" _What's worse, really? Giving in to depression or pretending to be happy?_

Ryoga waved a hand impatiently. "Believe me…when it comes to this, I consider you much more normal than me." He drew a breath. "I knew I was feeling different than usual, but when I couldn't do the Shi Shi Hokodan anymore, I kinda realized that there's something more to it. It's like I just feel so…so…"

Ukyo smirked just a little as she turned the stove off, as dinner was finally ready. "Ryoga…are you telling me you're _happy_?"

Ryoga blinked. "I _am_?"

Laughter escaped her again in a short, amused burst of air. "You're asking _me_? Shouldn't _you_ know?"

"Wow…" Ryoga mumbled, sounding fascinated. "Maybe that's what it is?"

"Yeah, _maybe_." Ukyo giggled.

"_Happy_…?" The way he said it, he sounded like he was tasting some difficult, foreign word, trying to get the pronunciation right.

Ukyo put a hand over her mouth, trying to stop the giggles. If it had been anybody else but Ryoga, she'd been wondering if they were just kidding.

Finally Ryoga snapped out of staring into space, mesmerized; shaking his head to get back to himself, he turned his attention to her. "By the way, I forgot to tell you, but I finished the book."

"The book?"

"Yeah, you know, 'Tsugumi'?"

"Oh, right. So did you like it?"

"It was interesting enough." He shrugged, getting it out from his backpack. "Before I give it back to you, there's this part of it I'd like to show you, actually."

Ukyo looked at him, her interest piqued. "_Really_?"

Ryoga nodded, thumbing through the paperback until he found the page he was searching for. "Though we weren't aware of it, we were all struggling to conceal the murky snarl of emotions that must have slept deep inside each one of us." He began, and she swallowed; she too had noticed that passage from Tsugumi. The words that was going to follow it had caused in her a disturbing pang of loneliness as she'd sat alone in her room one evening reading it this January before Ryoga had stumbled into her life again.

"Each one of us continues to carry the heart of each self we've ever been, at every stage along the way, and a chaos of everything good and rotten. And we have to carry this weight all alone, through each day that we live. We try to be as nice as we can to the people we love, but we alone support the weight of ourselves." He read the whole thing aloud, and in an impressive reading voice, she thought. When he was finished, he looked at her expectantly.

"So?"

Ukyo shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "What about it?"

He raised both eyebrows in challenge. "And this _isn't_ depressing?"

Ukyo stared at him in disbelief, completely spun by the anticlimax of it all. "Hey!" She laughed, punching his arm playfully. "Here I thought you were going to say something 'meaningful' about our lives or some crap like that, and you just— you jackass!"

He laughed as well, trying to duck away from her fists as she followed him around the kitchen in a dodging, weaving dance, and suddenly she came to realize what had been missing about Ranma that day when he'd taken her out to a baseball match alone. There was nothing wrong with him, not really, but he lacked a very important quality.

The fact was that Ranma wasn't…well, he wasn't _Ryoga_, and it was as easy as that.

Anyone could coax a laugh out of her easygoing Ran-chan, but with Ryoga, it was much harder. With Ryoga, it took trust and it took skill, and it made you feel that much more special if you could do it.

Ranma didn't seem to need anyone to care for him, either; he just didn't make her feel needed the way Ryoga did. It wasn't as if Ryoga was helpless; that wasn't it.

Sure, she needed to help him with his directional problem if he was to be able to stick around to work at her restaurant, but other than that, he seemed to have learned to work around his problem. After all, he'd been taking care of himself alone for most of his life; he had to be an expert at surviving in the wilderness by now, and he was definitely one of the most powerful martial artists she'd ever seen, but he was just...there was something about him, some sort of uncertain but desperate emotional need that he had that might've frightened other girls a little, but only drew Ukyo closer to him.

Ukyo _liked_ to feel needed.

When she finally caught him during their little game in the kitchen, she froze because she'd caught him by his arm, bare and warm against her palm and fingertips; suddenly she didn't quite know what to do with him, especially not after what she'd just been thinking and what had happened that afternoon. He was still laughing a little, though, oblivious to the change in temperature with her, so she used this as cover as she patted her hair self-consciously, stepping away from him.

"I'm just gonna go tell dad that dinner's ready," she mumbled, giving him a skittish smile before ducking out of the kitchen.

Ryoga watched her go, wondering what had just happened.

* * *

"Ryoga, could you tell Ukyo I want to talk to her?"

The second Ryoga had started getting up from bed the next morning, Mr. Kuonji, who was even more of an early riser than Ukyo, had popped his head into the room.

Ryoga nodded in response, quickly rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he scrambled to his feet. "Sure!"

Masahiro seemed satisfied with that, and gave him a curt nod before leaving. "Tell her I'll be in my study."

After he'd gotten dressed, Ryoga drew a deep breath, went to the door and took two steps straight forward; if he got himself lost in the barely two metres from Mr. Kuonji's room to Ukyo's room, Mr. Kuonji would think he was a total moron.

Knocking politely on Ukyo's door, he waited; when there was no answer, he knocked again. Still no answer forthcoming, he shrugged and opened the door, crossing the floor to Ukyo's bed to wake her up.

He froze.

She'd kicked off the covers from the bed, and she was— she looked—

It wasn't like usual— the fountain of nose blood and the consequent passing out…no, this was different. It was like the shape of her legs, the curve of her bottom and the slope of her back simply kept him mesmerized. Then she squirmed a little in her sleep and turned over, and he could see her angelic, peaceful face, her full breasts, unbound beneath her loose night shirt. Her long, brown hair looked like a tangled mess of mocha-caramel gold in the sunlight, and her pink lips were up-turned in a small smile, the one where she looked like she knew a really good secret. His legs and arms started trembling out of their own volition, and he swallowed as he realized he wanted to climb right in there with her and wrap himself around her—after seeing this, how could he sleep on the floor again when they got back to Tokyo, let alone sleep in a whole other room than her tonight?

He'd been so stumped by the fact that he couldn't do the Shi Shi Hokodan anymore and what that might mean for him that it had temporarily overshadowed what had happened the day before with Ukyo— or maybe he'd just filed it away in his head because he hadn't been able to deal with it then— but now the memories came back with full force.

_She _**kissed**_ you,_ a nagging part of his brain pointed out. _It was only on the cheek,_ he reminded himself calmly and logically, but the other part of him just kept on being stubborn. _She **kissed** you…**twice**, even! She probably wouldn't mind if you got in there with her, just held her a little, nothing too serious, just a little cuddling…or maybe she could lie with her face against your back again, that was nice…she couldn't possibly object to that! _

…_right, Hibiki? _

He started horribly when he came to notice that he had in fact already placed a knee on the edge of the bed, one hand reaching down to steady himself against the mattress; shocked, he flung himself backwards with such force that he literally landed on his ass on the wooden floor with a loud thump, wincing and hissing as sharp, brief pain shot through him. That was going to _bruise_.

"Ryoga…?" Came Ukyo's disoriented voice; all the noise had apparently woken her up. "What are you doing here?"

He looked up quickly, scrambling to his feet, his face burning with the shame of almost getting caught doing something _really_ stupid. It had been bad enough when he'd slept with Akane as P-chan— now he was trying to sneak into Ukyo's bed as a man, too? Though come to think of it, sneaking into a girl's bed as a man_ was_, while perhaps a little more perverted since he could do things to a girl as a man that he couldn't in his cursed form, at least less _dishonest_—

_Shut up! _Ryoga scolded himself mentally; how could he even be thinking that when he should be concentrating all his brain power on figuring out a way to explain the situation?

"Yeah, I-I…your father asked me to wake you up!" He blurted; it wasn't a lie, exactly, but it wasn't the entire truth, either.

Ukyo squinted against the light, scratching her head a little. "What were you doing on the floor?"

"I…f-fell…" He stuttered almost inaudibly; after regarding him curiously for a few seconds, she shrugged and decided to leave it alone for now. There didn't seem to be that many moments of his life when Ryoga _wasn't _working himself up over _something_, anyway.

"So what did dad want?" Ukyo asked as she swung her legs down onto the floor.

Ryoga shook his head. "I don't know, he just said he wanted to talk to you in his study,"

"Oh?" Ukyo frowned, suddenly feeling wide awake. _Why do I have such a bad feeling about this?_

When she went down to her father's study after getting herself dressed and guiding Ryoga to the kitchen, the look on her father's face made her swallow. He looked so serious and determined that the sense of foreboding only grew stronger. Whatever it was that her father wanted to talk to her about, it wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Morning, dad," Ukyo began as she walked over to a chair, sitting down. "What is it?" She tried for nonchalance, leaning back and crossing her legs.

"Ukyo," Masahiro began, not unkindly, "I would like to discuss your engagement to Saotome Ranma."

At hearing her father's words, Ukyo felt as if all the breath had left her body.

_So much for nonchalance._

**TBC.

* * *

**

**Author's note:** Egad! So much smooching in this chapter! Too much? Then again, compared to chapter three of _The Exit_, this is nothing, heheh.

I'm assuming that Ukyo's father knows quite a bit about martial arts since he's obviously taught Ukyo the okonomiyaki style of martial arts and since he used to know Saotome Genma of the school of Anything Goes, who certainly seems to _know_ a lot about different styles and techniques even if he himself cannot do them.

By the way, I have _no_ idea how long a drive between Tokyo and Osaka would actually take, and I'm not about to start doing the research for it, either. This fic is taking up enough of my time already. Time that should be spent studying. Just bear with me, okay?

The part with Ryoga and Ukyo and the mud was there for nothing but my own amusement. And hopefully yours.

**Geta:** Thick, wooden sandals worn with yukata or kimono.

**Obi:** Broad sash that you tie either the yukata or the kimono with; the style of tying the obi differs according to which of the two you wear.

**Taiyaki:** A fish-shaped pastry filled with sweet red bean paste. Other fillings include custard, chocolate and cheese etc (which I've never tried). It's very yummy, and common to see in food stalls at flea markets and festivals in Japan.

**Hiroshimayaki:** The Hiroshima variant of okonomiyaki, which has much more stuff (among other things noodles) in it than a regular okonomiyaki, and is therefore larger and thicker.

The creamy chicken and vegetable stew with rice is something I used to make when I was living in Kyoto, after I got the recipe from some of the Japanese students. It's kind of like the Japanese variant of curry, only mild and creamy instead of dark and spicy, and with a slightly different selection of vegetables in it.

Again, it's been two months since my last Omiyage update. I don't have anything to say except that for me, this is probably the hardest fic I've ever had to write.

It could have something to do with the length of the chapters (this chapter is twenty-five pages long, for crap's sake, _twenty-five_!), which I'm sort of starting to regret. Maybe I should've made them shorter so I could update more often?

Or it could be the fact that I'm not quite sure where I want to take this thing. It seems to just keep building and building on itself and it's turned out to be very different, but hopefully not worse, than I thought it would be.

Writing Ukyo's dad, for instance, was different than I thought; he turned into a whole personality all on his own, with his own point of view, and demanded more screen time than I had originally intended to give him. I had a good time writing him.

Hopefully the next update won't take as long, but I can't promise anything other than this; I am going to finish this fic someday. I will.

Chapter seven may be a while, because I'm not exactly sure how to tackle the bumpy road that lies ahead for our favourite couple. I've got some ideas, but actually writing them might be a little difficult.

Please enjoy my other Ryoga/Ukyo fics in the meantime. Or Nabiki/Kuno fics. Both _Proxemics_ and _The Exit_ should in theory be due an update soon. I'm planning to make a fourth chapter for _The Exit_ instead of just an epilogue. And _then_ a short epilogue. Sigh. And that thing was only meant to be a one-shot, too.

PS: Originally, I was going to have them eat chocolate-covered bananas (also a common feature at flea market food stalls in Japan) instead of taiyaki, and have Ryoga react to seeing Ukyo eat the banana in the way of bad hentai clichés everywhere (Banana equals Phallus equals LOL), but it was an idea that only had a life span of about five seconds before I came to the conclusion that it would be too stupid, too pointless and, again, that it would be such a huge cliché. Sorry if I've disappointed anybody. ;)

* * *


	7. Osaka II

**Omiyage: Osaka II**  
By Ninnik Nishukan

* * *

**Author's note: **Lime warning. Also, I gave Ukyo's father a name. He's Kuonji Masahiro.

* * *

"My e-engagement?" Ukyo could feel the colour draining from her face, her heart thumping wildly. This must've been why her dad had been so insistent about her coming to visit. And now she knew that _this_ was what Grandma hadn't been telling her in Nagoya. Grandma had _known_ that her son would have something to say about her granddaughter's engagement!

What could it be, what did her father want…? Surely he wasn't going to tell her she had to—

"Yes." Her father nodded. "You see, the thing is that I talked to Saotome Genma a few months ago, and he agreed to start paying me back for the yatai he stole from us all those years ago."

"What?" For a brief moment, she felt so completely relieved; she'd been soafraid that her father was suddenly going to push her to go through with a wedding with Ranma! Something like that would've caused all sorts of unpleasant reactions from a whole lot of people; she'd have Shampoo wanting to smash her head in with a bonbori, Kodachi trying to poison her and the entire Tendo family breathing down her neck, trying to talk her out of it, not to mention Ranma himself probably fleeing for the hills— and just when her life was going so well, too!— and if she'd been put in a position where she was supposed to be a bride-to-be, she would've been forced to ask Ryoga to move out, which she really didn't want to have to do—

—now, though, she was simply confused. What was _this_ all about?

"Why would Mr. Saotome…?" She began tentatively.

Masahiro cleared his throat. "He's started the down-payment on the yatai in exchange for me breaking your engagement to his son."

Ukyo gaped; how could he do something like that without asking her first? "You can't be ser—"

"You can tell Saotome Ranma about it yourself, because he doesn't know it yet, but as far as I'm concerned, the engagement is now officially over." Masahiro said, every syllable clanging into place with immovable finality.

"How can you—"

Her father sent her a solemn look, cutting her off. "I have to say that I would rather not see you engaged to Saotome Ranma. For obvious reasons, the Kuonji family hasn't wished to be joined with the Saotomes for a long while."

What could she say possibly to that? She _knew_ that. Grandma had certainly commented on it, too. Ukyo studied her father's face for a moment before speaking up.

"How did you even get that old creep to pay up? Didn't think he had any money,"

Masahiro got an odd expression on his face, a mixture of both pride and embarrassment. "I threatened to sue."

A bark of shocked laughter escaped Ukyo. "_What_?"

He just shrugged. "It was the only thing I could think of to do."

Despite the fact that she was deeply annoyed with her father for arranging this behind her back, Ukyo had to laugh. That had to be the silliest thing he'd ever come up with! "Maybe we _should've_ sued, huh?" She grinned malevolently. "Might've been able to get more than whatever the yatai was worth, you know."

"If I'd thought he was good for it, I might've done it," Masahiro smirked, pleased that she didn't seem to be _too_ mad. "Lawyers cost too much money, though."

Ukyo laughed a bit more, but then it was as if her smile simply evaporated as her laughter died away. "Dad…you could've done this differently," she said, looking at him with a stern, yet hurt expression. "You should've asked me first."

"Ukyo…" Masahiro was put off balance by the sudden drop in temperature.

"I mean it, dad." She said quietly, looking at her feet.

Her father looked chagrined. "Ukyo, please listen…I've regretted that damn deal since day one and I've wanted to break the engagement for a long time, but I waited for you to find the Saotomes so we could both have some peace of mind. And then when you finally found Ranma again, you seemed so happy about it that I couldn't tell you that you had to end it. But now it's been well over a year and there's been no change in your relationship, so I thought it was time for you to end it with your dignity intact. You're not going to end up marrying the Saotome boy, Ukyo, and I don't want you to waste any more of your life on him, and certainly not because of some stupid deal that I made years ago."

Ukyo was silent for a few moments after listening to her father's speech. When she finally looked up, her expression was carefully blank.

"I'm gonna go out for a while and think about this, okay?" She told him, ignoring his helpless expression.

"Ukyo, please, you're my only child—"He began, sounding just a little fearful; what was she planning to do? She didn't hate him, did she?

"Even more of a reason for you to be honest with me," Ukyo said firmly, looking him straight in the eye.

With that, she left, her father gaping after her.

Ukyo drew a deep breath as she leaned heavily against the door to her father's study. For the first time since she was six, Kuonji Ukyo was single.

It felt like a big joke, though; she'd _always_ been single, just not on paper.

"Ryoga, I'm going out for a while," She told him as she passed the kitchen, where he was eating breakfast.

"Mmphhh…!" Ryoga tried to ask her where she was going and when she'd be back but his mouth was stuffed full of rice and she was already leaving.

Ukyo went into the hallway, slipping into her sandals and grabbing her handbag as she went. With each step out the door, she felt like she was letting Saotome Ranma go with a sense of finality that she hadn't felt before.

* * *

When she got back, she found Ryoga in the living room, reading the newspaper. Ukyo stood up straight and smoothed down her hair a little, clearing her throat loudly to get his attention.

"Ahem!"

"Huh?" He looked up from the newspaper, blinking at the girl in the doorway.

Ukyo grinned and did an experimental twirl, her now much perkier ponytail all but cracking like a whip. "You like?"

"What's this?" Ryoga asked, indicating her hair, which she seemed to have cut about a third or more of; the hairdresser had taken sheers to her bangs as well, softly moulding them around her face.

"Hair therapy." Ukyo smiled lopsidedly.

"Huh?"

"It's a girl thing." She gestured dismissively, but then furrowed her brow. "Or it's probably not girl-specific, actually. Anyway, it's what you do when you want to feel a little…_new_. Different."

"Oh." He tilted his head at her. "Looks good." _It really, really does, _he thought, enjoying this opportunity to more or less stare openly at her.

"Thanks." She pulled at her hair a little. "It's really hot out and I guess I got tired of wearing my hair so long that it felt like I had a carpeted back."

"So why did you need, um…'hair therapy'?"

She hesitated a bit. "Well…"

Ryoga put the newspaper aside, getting up from the couch. "Does it have anything to do with…I mean, is it okay if I ask what your father wanted to talk to you about?"

Ukyo smiled. "Ask away."

There was a pause.

"So, um…what was it?"

Ukyo laughed in a reserved manner. "The thing is, you see…dad…he's arranged for us to get a refund from the Saotomes because Genma stole our yatai that time."

"Really?" Ryoga looked at her curiously. "Well…that's good, right?"

She grinned quirkily at him. "In exchange, Mr. Kuonji would do Mr. Saotome the favour of terminating the engagement between one Kuonji Ukyo and one Saotome Ranma." She told him in an ironical tone.

As the words hit him, his eyes widened and his mouth fell slightly open; he wanted to cheer over what was— in his opinion— very good news, but the thing was that while she didn't seem sad, exactly, there was just something about the way she spoke about the matter that told him that whooping with joy really wouldn't be very appropriate right then. It was hard to tell what she was feeling about it, and he got the impression that like his failed Moko Takabisha that day, it could be explained by the fact that she had to be feeling so many _different_ things.

"You mean….?" He began carefully, not knowing what else to say, asking her to elaborate.

"Yeah. We're not engaged anymore." Ukyo confirmed.

Ryoga walked hesitantly up to her. "How are you doing?"

She gave him a one-shouldered shrug before opening the door to the backyard, walking out and sitting down at the engawa, staring into the middle distance. "Been better." She finally said.

He stood in the doorway, shuffling his feet a little as he tried to figure out what to say; this was a difficult task seeing as he didn't even know quite how he felt about all of this. It was great, certainly, but did it actually change anything for them? As far as he was concerned, the only change that the end of her engagement brought would be that she was now _officially_ single; if she didn't have any of the same feelings for him as he did for her, there would be no _real_ change, would there? "How...how do you feel?" He finally came up with; the best approach would probably be to figure out what _she_ felt first.

Ukyo shook her head slowly. "I dunno. Scared. Confused. Numb. Relieved. Kinda free. "

"_Free_?" Ryoga tilted his head curiously at her; this he hadn't expected.

Ukyo laughed a little. "Yeah, y'know? Like I could do anything, go anywhere, take a trip to China tomorrow if I wanted to—"

"No problem! Just follow me, and we'll get there!" Ryoga joked. "Eventually, anyway." He added after a pause.

Ukyo regarded this young man trying to cheer her up and was overwhelmed by just how much she'd suddenly come to need him in her life; it wasn't about being dependant upon somebody— she had her own trade, she was well on her way to graduating high school and she'd never been helpless— no, this was about some strange emotional need that had rooted itself deeply within her during these last few months. She knew she was probably wrong for thinking it, but she had to admit to herself that one of the very first thoughts that had popped into her head when she'd gone out walking after speaking to her father about the end of her more than a decade long engagement had been—

_Ryoga._

The thought had been a counterbalance of sorts;_ he_ was there, in her life, and somehow she couldn't bring herself to get as upset about the broken engagement as she probably should've been. What _had_ actually made her mad about it all wasn't the fact that she was no longer Ranma's fiancée, but the fact that her dad had deemed it necessary to go behind her back like that, to simply _decide_ things for her, as if she was still six years old! And to make it even worse, _he_ was the one who'd gotten her into this mess in the first place!

She'd taken up the family trade— not that she didn't love it, but that wasn't the point— and she'd let her father choose her fiancée for her— sure, she'd liked her Ran-chan and she still did, but what did a six-year-old know about marriage?— and her father might've meant well, but wasn't it time for her to be able to make her _own_ decisions about things like that?

What she _did_ feel about not being Ranma's fiancée anymore was…well, the idea just seemed kind of alien to her, because ever since she was six, she'd never _been_ anything else than Ranma's Fiancée. And she guessed she had to wonder what she was _supposed_ to be if she wasn't _that_ anymore.

Simply trying to be Kuonji Ukyo might be nice, though. Not 'Ucchan', not 'Ran-chan's Cute Fiancée', not 'Spatula Girl' and _certainly_ not 'the Okonomiyaki Transvestite' or 'that Kuonji weirdo'.

Just Ukyo.

"Ryoga…" She murmured, giving him a long look, asking for closeness; the need for which she couldn't vocalize.

"What's wrong?" Ryoga asked, a concerned frown appearing on his face as he stepped over to her; Ukyo sighed in relief as he finally sat down by her side and she didn't have to ask him to do it.

"I don't know…" Ukyo shook her head, waving a hand vaguely, trying to find a way to express herself. "I...I feel so weird...like I should feel happier, but at the same time like I should feel sadder." She glanced up at him sort of shyly. "Am I making any sense?"

Ryoga nodded seriously. "I think you are. "

She let out a long breath. "I just…I feel like I'm finally my own person, in a way, and that's good because now I feel I have the freedom to explore other…relationships…" She ground slowly to a halt as she realized exactly _what_ she was sitting there saying, exactly what he might interpret it as; a sharp burst of panic driving through her heart, she backtracked quickly.

"B-but at the same time I feel like it's been so…I mean, when I think of all the wasted time, I just want to—"She gritted her teeth, her fists clenching before she sighed. "It should never have happened this way. I should never have been engaged to him like that. I didn't lose a friend and gain a fiancée, I just lost a friend…and I got bitter…" She put her head in her hand, resting her elbow on her knee. "I mean, it was all so stupid, too, wasn't it? How can you be engaged to someone when they don't even know about it?"

"Do you…do you wish you were still engaged to him?"

He looked so anxious to hear the answer that she felt warmth blossoming in her chest; it made her want to tell him something significant. "You know what, Ryoga?" She said softly. "I don't think I would want to marry him now even if he asked me. I just…I don't. I'm too young to get married, and besides, I…I don't love him…not like that. I don't even have to think about it, because I can just _feel_ it." Ukyo sighed. "And it feels nice, really, being sure of something for once."

Ryoga could feel his throat constrict, his mouth going dry. _She doesn't love him! She doesn't love him!_ _She doesn't love him!_ His brain chanted mercilessly at him, again trying to urge him into letting loose a joyful exclamation. "R-really…?"

"Really." She sent him a crooked grin. "And I bet there's a few girls back home who would be happy to hear it, huh?"

"Yeah," he nodded dazedly, "Akane would really— yeah."

Ukyo sighed and shook her head. "And Shampoo and Kodachi…and who knows? We've been gone for a few days, right?"

His mouth quirked into a slight smile as he caught on. "Yeah, who knows, maybe he's already got a new fiancée?"

She shrugged. "Some divine power_ must've_ heard the news and sent him a new one to even things out by now."

Ryoga laughed. "It's only reasonable."

Ukyo laughed a little as well, but he suddenly noticed that the laugh wasn't as steady as it should be, and that her expression was a little troubled; it was obvious that she didn't take it all as lightly as she pretended to.

"Ukyo?" He leaned forward, his hand hovering above her shoulder. "You don't have to joke, you know…you can be sad if you want to."

Again, she gave an odd, shaky laugh, her brows knitting. "It's so unfair, that's the worst part…" She began, her voice a little breathy. "…it just makes me feel so young, you know, to have my father decide for me like that…but I guess I really _am_ young." Ukyo bit her lip. "I mean, I'm only eighteen…so I probably shouldn't even _be_ engaged, should I? And I definitely shouldn't have been engaged at age _six_!" She added, scoffing.

"No, probably not," Ryoga said quietly.

"It's this kinda thing that makes me wish that mom was still around…'cause, well...it'd be nice to know what _she_ would have had to say about this whole mess." Ukyo said, picking absently at her new hairdo. "And who knows? Maybe…maybe then I wouldn't even have been engaged in the first place…"

Ryoga cleared his throat, uncertain if he should be asking the next question or not. "What, um…your mother…how did she…?"

"Car accident," Ukyo said promptly, and that seemed to be all the explanation he was going to get. Ryoga got the distinct feeling that it would be inappropriate to press her about the subject, so he didn't. Ukyo certainly didn't need to deal with her broken engagement as well as memories of her deceased mother.

"I just hope that old idiot Genma hurries up and actually pays us back for that yatai." She went on, seemingly unfazed. "I don't want Ranma to feel even guiltier for what his old man did to me, and I just want this whole thing to be over and done with in a proper way so nobody feels like they owe anybody anything."

"That…that would probably be for the best, yeah." He said vaguely, more to have something to say than anything else.

Ukyo was silent for a while before she let out a heavy breath. "Did I ever tell you about the time when I lived at the Tendo house?"

"No…?"

"There was this whole thing with this secret okonomiyaki sauce I made ten years ago and—"Giving an annoyed grunt, she waved her hand dismissively. "Well, that's not important. Let's just say that Ran-chan had done something he felt bad about when we were little and that it made me lose my faith in my own cooking abilities, okay?" She sighed. "The thing was…I was feeling kind of down and he was feeling kind of guilty and I ended up staying at the Tendo house 'until I felt better', you know. And I gave up okonomiyaki for him, dedicating myself to becoming a good wife because I thought I was losing my abilities as a chef and because he'd made some thoughtless promise when we were six that he'd take care of me for the rest of my life and what the hell was that? What was I thinking? I was so unhappy when I couldn't do what I loved and why the hell was I trying to be some simpering little housewife to some guy who didn't even love me?"

Ryoga could only stare at her, not fully comprehending her story since she'd left out so many details. Apparently the end of her engagement had brought up a whole bunch of bad memories, and he wasn't sure if she was even talking to him right then; she seemed to be scolding herself more than anything, and he just happened to be there.

"I mean…_me_? A _house wife_?" She snorted. "It's okay for those who enjoy it, but it just wasn't _me_. And I wasn't just a housewife, I was the housewife to end all housewives, you know? And it really, really wasn't me. So why did I _act _like that?" She screwed her eyes shut. "Grandma would've been so disappointed. She's always wanted me to be strong and independent and never take any crap from guys."

The corners of Ryoga's mouth quirked up into a grin. "Really? I can't imagine."

Ukyo giggled briefly. "Grandma really scarred you for life, didn't she?"

"Nah, I'll probably be over it by the time I hit middle age." He joked in a mock-nonchalant tone of voice.

"I'll look forward to that." Ukyo giggled again.

Ryoga's eyes misted over a little as his mind ran away with him, picturing himself and Ukyo as middle-aged; having her around in about thirty years didn't sound too bad, really, and even more so, he realized with not a small amount of astonishment that he had in fact simply been assuming that she _would_ be. It wasn't that he was taking her for granted, it was more the fact that she had so very quickly become such a natural part of his life, a soothingly constant factor in an otherwise crazy world, and now he suddenly couldn't imagine his existence without her; that would be the past, and his past was too depressing to think about.

How long would she put up with him, though? Until she got a boyfriend? Until she got married? Until she had children? When would he be evicted from her life?

Suddenly the thought of her with somebody else than him, even if he'd never even met whoever it was going to be, was utterly unbearable—

Ukyo took that exact moment to lean against him, though, looping her arm through his to steady herself, so he didn't get to finish his thoughts because his mind went into overdrive and he couldn't move nor think.

Ukyo let out a heavy breath and sagged against his side, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. "Life is weird, isn't it?"

Ryoga made some non-committal sound, somewhere between a squeak and a grunt, and she glanced up at his face to see what was up; he looked absolutely petrified. Taken aback, she released his arm and stopped leaning against him.

"S-sorry…" She mumbled, embarrassed over herself. "I didn't mean to…I mean, just because I'm feeling a bit strange, I have no right to…"

It was her turn to let out an odd, squeaky sound as one strong arm shot out and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her towards him until she was once again nestled against his side. His arm still wrapped around her back, he glanced down at her and his mouth twitched as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't as he meet with her round, astonished eyes.

Her expression turning serious, she slipped her arm around his waist.

They sat in companionable silence for a beat or two.

"S-so…you were saying…?" He said, somewhat hoarsely; what he'd just done had felt like one of the bravest things he'd _ever_ done, and he didn't quite understand how he'd even managed to do it.

She breathed out through her nose, once; a brief, soft sound like a squelched laugh. "I was saying how life is weird."

"I'd have to agree." He replied solemnly.

Again she made that almost inaudible little nose-laugh. "Yeah…"

"Weird…" He nodded.

She drew a breath, bracing herself to ask the one question she wanted to know the answer to the most right then. "Ryoga? Do you think this is a good thing? Me not being engaged to Ran-chan anymore?"

He looked into her eyes and found he couldn't lie. Even if it meant she might give him a scary follow-up question that began with _why_. "Yes, I do." He said quietly. "I think it's good."

Her eyes looked round and surprised again and even slightly timid as she regarded him, but to his own surprise he noticed that her lips were now slowly forming a small smile.

"Maybe it is."

Looking into his eyes, Ukyo suddenly felt as if they were hovering on the brink of something; it was the same hot and cold sensation she'd gotten when they'd been so close together out on the field that day after the failed Moko Takabisha. There was something unspoken between them now, something to do with how they both thought it was a good thing that she was single now.

Ryoga's form by her side calmed her like nothing had before, even if they were just sitting out on the engawa, talking. The familiar rhythm of his breath, his scent, his voice...and the best thing of all, if he would turn to her and look her in the eyes, smiling that cute, slightly impish smile that made the skin on her neck and back tingle. Those eyes were even worse than the smile, though the smile made her think of what it would be like to kiss him.

Now, as Ryoga was starting to get a grip on himself and grow less awkward, Ukyo noticed with almost startling intensity that Ryoga was indeed more than a "goofy sweetie"; she was actually slightly disturbed at how much he attracted her. But even if she should be happy that he was fairing better— that he'd dared to pull her back against him again like that was a definite sign of improvement— she was still delighted each time he blushed at something she said or did. But he drew blushes from her with a frequency that startled her, too.

Warm, affectionate feelings were mixing with feelings of another nature now, and she knew she was probably beginning to touch him more often than you were supposed to do with just a friend; a playful slap on the shoulder here, a hug there, a holding of hands here, a kiss on the cheek there…

Not being engaged to Ranma anymore was actually becoming quite a scary concept, because it made her realize that now she no longer had any solid, valid reasons why she shouldn't be kissing Ryoga. Nobody had a claim on her anymore, and so she could do whatever…she wanted…right?

It was true that she'd contemplated kissing him before, when she was in fact still engaged, but now, for some reason, the idea seemed more real, more possible than the thoughts she'd been able to brush aside before.

When would she cross the threshold and put her mouth on his? Would _he_? Would he even _want_ to?

The only thing stopping her now was herself and her own fears. If she actually dared to kiss him and he rejected her, she would be devastated.

Then she would have nothing left.

During his prolonged stay at her apartment and after, Ryoga had recognized on Ukyo's face some of the expressions and lines that he himself possessed, things that showed they had both had to grow up too fast. Something hardened, something cynical, yet hopelessly romantic.

Akane had a whole family around her, and Ranma at least had his annoying father— and his mother, even if right now, that whole relationship was a can of worms preferred unopened— and he was living with Akane and the rest of the Tendos, but Ukyo, like Ryoga (even if she had her father in Osaka, and he had his parents…somewhere…) was alone when she was in Nerima. But not anymore; Ryoga was determined to stay in her life if she would have him. Each time he made Ukyo laugh or smile, he felt like the greatest man in the world, and he was sure he would never get tired of it.

It didn't hit him like a sledgehammer to his conscience; it rather snuck up on him slowly, sliding its metaphorical hands across his mind. It had been there for a while, he realized, in one form or the other, but nothing as clear or concise as this, nothing like this pure, undiluted thought that now appeared in him.

Nothing this certain.

It had been friendship, it had been like, it had been fondness, it had been affection, it had been attraction…and now it had all come together, filtered through his various jumbled thoughts to form a single one.

_I love you._

And as if in a dream-like state, he felt his arm tighten around her almost possessively without him ordering it to, and for a short second he was terrified she'd take it the wrong way— or the right way, more likely— but then she sighed and put her head on his shoulder and he really, really didn't know what to do as it dawned on him exactly what he'd thought about her and what the consequences of this might be.

She seemed to be calm, cheerful, confident and in control of the situation most of the time, but she really got flustered when you came too close...and then her femininity flared up and you saw the soul that was afraid to be hurt and each time you were floored by how beautiful, how stunning good ol' cutie Ucchan could be. And then you lost your nerve, because you were so afraid to tread wrong.

Ryoga liked how it had all progressed. The slow progress made it seem more real somehow. First they were scheming partners, then friends, then they lived and worked together and it seemed as if they had become even better friends...but now what?

Yes, now you were petrified of taking a wrong step.

_Oh, gods,_ he thought as his brain finally kicked back into speed, _I **love** her! I'm in love with her!_

_What am I supposed to do?_

_Okay, _he thought desperately, _okay, you can handle this, it's not so bad…it's not so bad…!_

His heart thudding, Ryoga remembered how Ukyo would always make him feel better by somehow managing to point out the bright sides of things, and so he began to take inventory to _prove_ to himself it wasn't as bad as it seemed.

For one, he supposed the current situation was more favourable than the last time he was interested in a girl.

Ukyo knew about his curse and had accepted it. That was one thing he didn't have to worry about that much.

And as far as he'd understood it, he was not only Ukyo's friend now, but it felt as if he was in fact her best friend. That was certainly a step up from being, in the eyes of his desired partner, just some nice and polite but weird guy who kept showing up in the neighbourhood.

And when they got back to Tokyo, he would still be living with her in her apartment and working with her in her restaurant, which meant he basically had access to her twenty-four-seven, except when she was at school, and therefore had all the chances in the world to figure out if she felt the same and how to let her know how he himself felt about her.

Also, there was the hard-to-ignore fact that he was now sitting in her father's garden with an armful of Ukyo, who wasn't objecting to being held against his side, and who was leaning her head against his shoulder and who had her own arm around his back—

His mind flickered off for a second as she pressed just the teeniest bit closer, a soft, unintelligible murmur in her throat as she stroked his back a little, his shirt moving gently under her touch.

He wanted to be there for her, he wanted to protect her, wanted to make her laugh— but he didn't just want to be the boy who admired the girl from afar again, he couldn't bear just being all noble again, loving her with all of his heart and doing whatever he could for her, sacrificing everything—

This time he wanted to get something in return, he wanted to know that his feelings were reciprocated; he was going to be eighteen in a few months and he wasn't satisfied with silly crushes anymore. He wanted her to be his and he wanted to be hers.

The only problem was that she was his best friend, the only truly bright spot in his otherwise dark world, and if she didn't feel the same…well, once upon a time, he would have been heart-broken by a rejection from Akane, but a rejection from Ukyo would destroy him. She was his_ life_ now, and that wasn't even an exaggeration.

He had never had such a close relationship with anyone except for his parents, and if he lost it—

She had so much power over him now, and it made him so scared. And she didn't even know.

_Look at her,_ Ryoga thought as he glanced down at her out of the corner of his eye. She was brilliant in the sunlight, her eyes closed and her expression looking so serene, her body soft yet firm against his own…and she probably had no idea what she was doing to him.

And he could choose to let her keep her ignorance about the matter, or he could confess.

Either option frightened the living daylights out of him.

* * *

Ranma sighed. The stomach ache had been bothering him all day, and he was sure it was what had made him distracted around Mousse, who'd obviously been training lately. Served him right for trying to be nice by eating Akane's cooking.  
The guy was getting pretty damn strong, too. Theoretically, Mousse should be able to defeat Shampoo by now, and Ranma had to wonder why he hadn't. But then he supposed Mousse would first have to win over him before he could challenge Shampoo again.

When the sliding doors to his room opened with a soft swish, he didn't even bother looking to see who it was, only groaning as he shifted a little. Whoever it was, he hoped they would just leave if he played dead. He wanted to be left alone.

Akane bit her lip as she studied him from the doorway. The window was open, and she could tell he'd snuck in through there so nobody would notice that he was home and so nobody would bother him.

She supposed it made sense, considering how exhausting her family, his father and the old pervert could be, but she really wished he still would have come to her when he was feeling like this.

He looked completely exhausted. He was simply lying on the tatami mats, not even having bothered to get out his futon, and he was still in his girl form, too tired to go take a bath. His wet clothes had been dropped in a messy pile in the corner and he was only wearing his undershirt and boxers.

She didn't mind, though. She'd seen him in it countless times, and the hot weather didn't really allow for much clothing, anyway.

Taking a few tentative steps forward, she kept her voice soft when she spoke to him. "Ranma? What's happened?"

He kept his eyes closed when he answered her. "Mousse and Shampoo again."

That seemed to cover everything; she got the point, anyway. No matter what had happened, she knew that there was a basic formula to the events. Shampoo tried to hug him or give him food, Ranma tried to back away, Mousse got mad over the attention Shampoo was paying to Ranma and tried to attack him—

And so it went.

"How did you get wet this time?"

"Mousse threw a bucket of water at me," He said tightly, and she could hear the anger in his voice.

Akane's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wow…he must've been really mad, huh?"

"Tell me about it." Ranma mumbled.

Sighing, Akane closed the sliding doors behind her to give them some semblance of privacy and walked over to him, resting on her knees beside him. "Ranma…why don't you just let him win?" She asked him hesitantly.

Ranma flung an arm across his face, groaning a little again. "It's a little hard to just 'let him win' when he's using blades and is trying to chop off my various body parts, Akane." He told her ironically.

"Why don't you just challenge him to a fist fight, then?" Akane suggested hopefully.

He was quiet for a long while before he sighed heavily. "Maybe I should."

She frowned at him worriedly. "I know you don't like losing, but you know how he feels. He doesn't care about honour at all as long as he can be with Shampoo." She cleared her throat. "And if you're losing on purpose, it's not actually losing, is it?"

"I don't like it, but I guess not." He shrugged weakly, finally looking up at her. She was wearing jeans and a nice, yellow tank top, and the sunlight from the window caught her face and hair at a very good angle; where before he would've gulped with nervousness, he now sent her a small smile. He was suddenly very glad it was her and not his dad or someone who had come to see him.

She smiled back tryingly and put her hand over his on the tatami mats. It was odd to hold his hand when he was a girl. It was softer than usual and it was actually a little smaller than her own. No wonder, either; everything on Ranma's girl form seemed to be smaller than herself, including her height and her waist— except for her breasts, of course, a fact always sparked just a little insecurity in her, only enhanced by how Ranma had teased her for being 'flat-chested' for almost as long as they'd known each other. It was only during these recent few months that he'd stopped calling her that.

Ranma began to turn his palm over for her so they could hold hands properly, but his fingers twitched as he gasped with another stomach spasm from the food poisoning. His brows knitting tightly, he clutched his stomach with one hand, gritting his teeth against the pain.

When she realized what was wrong, she swallowed hard; that wasn't just from the fight, was it?

Suddenly she felt kind of sorry for him. He'd been attacked, drenched and…well, he'd eaten her food.

"Ranma?"

"What?"

"You really do have a stomach ache, don't you?"

Ranma looked up with a fearful expression under his now red bangs. "Uh…"

"It's okay." Akane leaned forward, prodding his stomach.

Ranma was trying not to wince, but Akane still caught it. "Indigestion, huh?" She smiled sadly. "I try so hard, but it's never any good, is it?"

"Well, I…Akane," He began, apologetic yet determined, "I won't…I can't eat your cooking anymore. Your curry's okay but the rest of it just makes me sick, like really, really nauseous!" It all came blurting out now, and somehow he just couldn't stop himself even if he knew he would be clobbered for it. He just had to explain to her how he felt. "I'm not making it up, okay? It's like someone poured lead into my stomach, it hurts so bad, makes me feel so dizzy, like I can't even stand on my feet—"

Finally he paused in his ranting when he caught the look on her face. She looked like someone had just had P-chan for a Sunday dinner or something, like the world was coming to an end and she was responsible.

Akane frowned deeply, her mouth trembling and her nostrils flaring slightly as if she was trying not to cry. "I know it's horrible. I _have_ tasted it, after all."

"Akane, I'm sorry—"

"Listen, Ranma, I need to tell you something." She said, settling down on her side next to him. "The thing is…you know how you always insult me…"

"Um…"

"I used to think that insulting my cooking was just part of the same rude act as when you insulted my looks and my clumsiness and those kinda things, so I guess I was just really sad when I discovered that my cooking really does stink." She sighed. "I know now that you don't really think I'm so bad after all, I know you don't think I'm ugly or anything, but I also know that my cooking is awful, and it's just…I work so very, very hard at it and I can't understand why it turns out so toxic…and when you reject my cooking, I feel like you don't appreciate me, like you're rejecting all the effort I put into it, like you're rejecting…rejecting _me_." She sniffled just a little, and his heart broke at the sound.

"N-no, Akane…I just hate the _food_, not you…" He froze as soon as the stupid words had left his mouth, bracing himself for anger.

She giggled a bit brokenly. "I know, but I just want you to like both, I guess…"

Ranma blinked up at her; she wasn't going to yell at him? "Akane…" He began uncertainly, but she didn't seem to expect an apology.

There was a moment of silence, and he slowly began to relax again.

When Akane suddenly started pulling up his undershirt, however, Ranma balked. "Oi, Akane, whaddaya think you're—"

"Shh…" She whispered calmingly, and he dropped his head back down, but he was still peering at her warily. Placing a hand on Ranma's belly, she started to gently rub it in circles. "How's that?" She asked, smiling just a little at him.

"That's…it's working, a little…" Ranma said, wonder in his eyes, before he grinned up at her. "Keep going."

Akane giggled softly as she laid back down, still stroking his stomach soothingly.

She kept doing that for a while, watching his contented face, and eventually found herself leaning closer to it. "Ranma…?" She began in a small voice. They hadn't kissed since that first time up on the roof, and she was starting to feel like she wanted to do it again.

Ranma caught the odd tone in her voice and noticed how close her face was; his eyes widened considerably. "A-Akane?"

"Can I…?" Akane said, gently asking for permission.

"B-but I'm a girl!" Ranma objected. Did she really not care about that?

"No, you're not," Akane retorted, her breath hot on his face as she leaned closer yet, their lips almost touching—

"Ranma! Are you in here, boy? Ranma—"

Ranma and Akane slowly turned their heads towards the doorway, both wearing similar, frozen expressions.

Genma's eyes went big with the shock of finding his best friend's daughter leaning over his only son in what was a very intimate way, but the shocked expression was replaced with a cheerful leer as he realized that even though his son was currently in his girl form, the whole thing could still be considered a very definite step in the direction of the Tendo-Saotome-joining that he and Soun so desperately hoped for.

First he'd managed to call off Ranma's engagement to Ukyo— and now this! Things were working out so well, for once!

"Good on you, boy!" He grinned hugely, giving his son a thumbs up before turning on his heel, joyfully bounding down the hallway. "Tendo! Tendo, you won't believe what's happened…!"

Ranma and Akane let out twin sighs, both heavy with exasperation.

It seemed that now, Shampoo and Mousse were only the least of their troubles.

"Oh gods, no…" Ranma groaned, sitting up to cradle his head in his hands.

Akane pinched the bridge of her nose as if she was getting a headache. "Sometimes I can't wait to get old enough to be able move out of this house…" she mumbled.

Nodding, Ranma got to his feet. "I'm gonna go take a bath."

"Sure…" Akane sighed.

She was surprised when Ranma suddenly turned on his heel, pulling her to him by his arm. "We got interrupted," He said simply before he placed his lips over hers, kissing her gently. Akane sagged with relief; apparently, the fact that their parents now knew about the progress they'd had in their relationship hadn't made him change his mind about her.

That was all she needed to know for now. They'd deal with their parents later.

* * *

"Ryoga?"

"Huh?" Ryoga looked up, distracted from his practice. Ukyo, knowing that he'd been itching to get some punching practice in but had nothing to hit, had taken him to the back of the garden, which was rather more spacious than the one back home at the Ucchan's and had showed him the padded pole she and her dad used for practice, much like the one the Tendos had in their backyard.

"Don't break it now," She'd sent him a fond smile before she announced that she was going out jogging. He wanted to practice because it usually cleared his mind, but his mind was so full of images and impressions and feelings right then that not even a massive case of amnesia could have wiped them all away. _What did it mean, what did it mean, what will happen, what will happen, _he asked himself over and over again as he attacked the pole while trying not to break it; it was quite hard not to do as he was so wound up he felt like he could've punched through reinforced steel right then. Telling himself it was a good practice of self-control, he tried to keep his breathing even as he pulled his punches just enough to leave the pole vibrating under the pressure, almost but not breaking. And he did all this while trying not to think about what Ukyo had told him and what she'd done and how he felt—

But now, her father was coming out to the garden, and Ryoga only needed to take one look at him to know that it was going to be a serious conversation.

"Y-yes? What is it?" Ryoga asked hesitantly, wiping the sweat from his brow as he suddenly felt self-conscious. He'd been trying to tone his usual mode of training down so he wouldn't disturb Mr. Kuonji's neighbours, but he still wondered what it had looked like to Mr. Kuonji and for how long he'd been watching. Hopefully he wouldn't tell him he had to stop. _And hopefully,_ Ryoga thought, paranoid for a second,_ he won't be able to read my mind and see what I'm thinking about his only daughter…!_

"Did you talk to Ukyo?" Ukyo's father seemed reluctant to ask, yet eager to know.

"Y-you mean about the engagement, right?" Ryoga asked, anxious even if he knew it couldn't really be about anything else.

Masahiro nodded. "What did she say?"

Clearing his throat, Ryoga shifted his weight a bit nervously before he answered. "No offence, Mr. Kuonji, but…maybe you should ask her that yourself?"

Mr. Kuonji didn't say anything for a while, simply looking at him solemnly; Ryoga half-expected him to get offended, but was put at ease when the older man's face suddenly broke into a pleased grin.

"Good answer, good answer." Masahiro rumbled, walking over to slap Ryoga on the back.

Ryoga blinked; the man had an arm on him like a steel bar wrapped in steaks. He wasn't very tall, he was heavyset and in his late forties; Ryoga got the impression that Mr. Kuonji had fooled many an opponent into thinking he was as slow on his feet as he looked. And he was also one of those men who looked a bit chubby because of their stocky build, but were really solid muscle.

"Now…" Masahiro began. "I wager I can give you a bit more competition than _that_," He said, pointing at the padded pole. "So…you want to do some sparring?"

Ryoga brightened. "Sure!"

He hadn't had a fight with Ranma in ages, and he certainly hadn't had one with a _new_ opponent.

This was going to be interesting.

And he supposed that considering the circumstances, it couldn't hurt to get Ukyo's father to like him.

* * *

When she got back to the house from her jog, Ukyo was surprised to find Ryoga and her father in the backyard, obviously just finishing up a sparring match. It had been a while since she'd seen her father in action, and him having his skills tested against someone as powerful as Ryoga was a real treat to watch. Not to mention it was a real treat to watch Ryoga sparring in only a muscle shirt and pants, the sun and the sweat making his skin glisten, his dark hair flowing like waves, muscles bunching under his skin— it was like she finally understood the meaning of _poetry in motion_— gods, _she_ wanted to spar with him— why _hadn't_ she yet?

_Anyway…! _Ukyo shook her head fiercely, trying to compose herself when she realized she was starting to think in unbearably corny ways.

Ryoga had better stamina than her dad, who had reached middle age, but her dad had better experience and more than a few tricks up his okonomiyaki uniform sleeves, and finally he feinted before he caught Ryoga with a quick, low, sweeping kick he hadn't been expecting.

As he helped the boy to his feet, Ukyo applauded the show, causing them both to look at her in surprise and Ryoga to turn a nice, red colour.

"Ukyo…?" Her father began uncertainly.

"Yes, dad?" It would've been so easy to make him sweat a little, make him grovel for what he'd done, but she supposed he'd had the best of intentions, so she really couldn't bring herself to be that cruel.

"Um…" It was easy to see that he was trying to figure out how to ask if she was still mad. "How are…I mean, are we…"

"I'm not angry anymore, dad," She said finally, grinning just slightly. When he looked relieved, though, just to keep him on his toes a little she added: "Not as mad as I _was_, anyway."

Masahiro deflated a little, sighing heavily. "I'd better go make us some dinner, then, huh?"

"Yes, you'd better," Ukyo said happily, starting to enjoy herself. "And take Ryoga with you," She prompted, pushing the boy forward.

"Wh-what?" Ryoga stammered.

Masahiro only chuckled; he knew his daughter. "Fine, I get it. Come on, Ryoga," He said, putting a friendly arm around the Lost Boy's shoulders, ushering him into the kitchen.

Ukyo sighed. It was always nice to talk to Ryoga and her father, but now she craved a shower after her jog and five minutes to herself after everything that had been going on. She had a lot to think about.

Especially concerning Ryoga.

* * *

Ukyo was just about to step outside to throw out the trash when she heard a terrible racket from the kitchen, followed by a short burst of cursing and then eerie silence.

When she carefully entered the kitchen, the first thing she noticed was the fact that she was stepping in water, the toes of her socks immediately soaking. Second, she saw the shocked expression on her father's face and third, she saw Ryoga's clothes, lying in a pile on the floor.

Trying to ignore her father's gawking and the icy feeling in her gut, she hurried forward to scoop up Ryoga, who was wriggling frantically as he tried to free himself of his clothes so he could escape.

"Ryoga," She gave a sad little sigh as she picked him up, cradling him against her side. The piglet cast his eyes down in defeat, going limp in her grasp. And everything had seemed to be going so _well_, too! She could tell that her father had started taking a liking to the boy, but now he was staring at Ryoga as if he was some kind of alien life form that had been found growing through his kitchen floor.

"Th-that's…_that's_ Ryoga?" Her father asked hesitantly, looking quite shell-shocked.

Ukyo only nodded.

"Wh-what in the world is going _on_ here?" He demanded, a little shakily.

"I'll explain it later, okay?" Ukyo promised evasively, backing out of the kitchen. "Right now I have to go make him human again."

"M-make him…?" Masahiro stuttered in disbelief as he stared after his daughter, who was making a quick getaway from the kitchen with a wet piglet under her arm.

He was silent for a moment as he tried to gather his wits.

Then he drew a deep breath as he grasped at the only thing that could make any sort of sense in the situation for him.

"And who's gonna clean up _this _mess?" He yelled after her, pointing accusingly at the soggy pile of clothes on the kitchen floor.

* * *

Ukyo was silent as she drew the bath, and Ryoga was starting to feel more and more unnerved. Somebody was going to ask him to leave. Whether it would be Ukyo herself or Mr. Kuonji, it didn't matter. The result would be the same.

It didn't matter now that Ukyo herself accepted his curse, he thought miserably, because her father didn't, and while Ukyo was independent, he knew that the opinion of her only remaining parent mattered a lot to her.

He didn't stand a chance with Ukyo now— Mr. Kuonji would probably sooner have his daughter engaged to Ranma again than have her have some pig for a boyfriend.

How could this happen right after he'd figured out he loved her? He hadn't even recovered from _that_ yet!

When the bath was ready, Ukyo was still silent as she picked him up to drop him carefully into the hot water. Her silence almost made him want to just stay underwater so he wouldn't have to meet with her disappointed gaze, which would be much worse than the horrified look he'd gotten from her father.

It would probably be considered rude to drown himself in her father's bathtub, however.

When he resurfaced, he kept his head down, not looking at her, his mind feeling as naked as he was, a faint blush of shame spreading across his skin.

"I'm…I'm so sorry." Ryoga apologized in a small voice while he sunk further down into the tub until the water nearly reached his shoulders. He didn't quite know what he was sorry for, exactly, since he'd already apologized to her for having this stupid curse and since it was Mr. Kuonji who had accidentally splashed him with a saucepan full of water, but right then he just felt ashamed and sorry in general. Sorry for having his curse revealed to Ukyo's dad in such a humiliating way, causing trouble for Ukyo. Just basically sorry for being Hibiki Ryoga.

"It's okay, Ryoga," Ukyo told him gently, her back turned for modesty. "I think you just really surprised him, you know?"

"What…what will he say?" He asked anxiously.

"I…I don't know." Ukyo bit her lip, wishing she could tell him something more reassuring, but she felt so oddly sad and nervous about it all, too. She didn't know why, but she felt as if it was very important whether her father approved of Ryoga or not. If he told her he didn't like the boy, she didn't quite know _what_ she would think or feel or say.

All she knew was that she was determined to keep him in her life this time; she couldn't stand it if they were separated again and it was her fault. Not after everything that had happened the last few days— she couldn't stand it if he left and she would have to deal with all of those odd, confusing feelings by herself. There were some things she knew; she cared for him, she liked spending time with him, she was a little attracted to him and she felt better when he was around, but beyond that, she wasn't quite sure how she felt or what she wanted, and she needed for him to stick around if she was supposed to be able to figure it out.

"Sorry," Ryoga repeated quietly, hugging himself as if he was cold. "Do you think I should leave…?"

"_Leave_?" Ukyo spun around; she looked distressed, suddenly, a deep furrow appearing on her forehead, her voice rising in pitch. "You're gonna _leave_? _Again_?"

_Oh no, oh no, nononono_, her mind roared at her in a deafening choir. This was just not happening, not now, not now—

Ukyo was starting to panic, and she really didn't like it. How could this fill her with such fear?

"D-don't you think—"

"No! No, I _don't_ think! I _don't_ think you should leave! Don't be such a _coward_!"

"I'm not bei—"

Ukyo punched his arm, hard. The wet smack of her fist against his skin reminded her of the fact that he was naked, but she was too agitated to care. She'd be damned if he was just gonna leave like that!

"Oh, right!" She spat sarcastically. "And running off into the sunset with your tail between your legs at the first sign of trouble, that's _what_? _Not _cowardly?"

Ryoga stared at her, vaguely noticing the way his arm was throbbing in the spot where she'd hit him. She had a surprisingly strong punch when she was mad, he realized, and he hadn't really known this because before, she'd usually only used her spatula on him. It was going to leave a nice, multi-coloured bruise. He could tell that she was her father's daughter.

"Ukyo—"

"I can't believe you're gonna just_ ditch_ me like that—"

"Ukyo!" He exclaimed, grabbing her hands. "I…I don't want to leave, but— your father…he's gotta want me gone now!" Swallowing, he dropped her hands as if he suddenly thought he wasn't worthy of holding them. "Don't _you _want me gone?"

Ukyo blinked. "What?"

Ryoga averted his gaze, looking discomfited. "I mean, how are you gonna explain to your dad…?"

"The usual way, you stubborn jackass!" She scoffed loudly. "I'll just tell him the story of a guy who accidentally got knocked into a cursed spring at Jusenkyo. What else _can_ I say?"

"Ukyo…" He breathed shakily as he took in the air of relentlessness around her— did she actually intend to _fight_ for him?

She hesitated. "You _want_ to stay…don't you?"

"Y-yes…" His heart swelled when he caught the note of concern in her voice. O_f course I do, I love you._ She actually wanted him to stay despite everything? He still stood a chance?

"Ryoga, please," Ukyo said, her voice soft as she leaned forward to embrace him, pulling him up from the tub a little so she could wrap her arms around his warm, wet frame. The front of her shirt was dampening, but she didn't mind. "I think you should stay," She told him defiantly, her face set in determination as she rested her cheek against his wet neck.

"U-Ukyo…!" He stammered, trembling in her arms, his hands hovering above her upper back, not daring to settle. "Y-you shouldn't— I'm…I'm naked and…!"

"It's okay," She murmured, clutching his shoulder. "I can't see anything, anyway." Sighing, she let go of him. "Feel any better now? Are you gonna stay?"

Ryoga only stared at her, her face and shirt wet because of the way she'd been leaning against him, and he couldn't get out a single word, only a strange sort of muffled whimper. How was she able to do something like that? How could she be so unabashed? Whenever he got the impulse to do something like what she'd just done, he felt completely and utterly paralyzed.

Of course, since she was a girl, she probably wouldn't have reacted very positively to him trying to hug her while she was naked in a bathtub, but the point was that it probably wouldn't even occur to him to_ try_. It would've only earned him a spatula to his head or a slap to his face. So why could _she_ do something like this and get away with it?

Well, it could have something to do with the fact that he basically _never_ minded it whenever she got a whim to touch him, whether it was something as simple as a handshake or something more intimate, like a kiss on the cheek…

He answered her question with a nod. He'd stay. What else could he do when she actually went and hugged him like that even after what had just happened? What else could he do when she kept sending him all these signals that made him hope that things might not have to end in heartache for him this time?

"I'll talk to dad, okay?" She told him encouragingly, smiling at him. "It's gonna be fine."

"Whatever you say," Ryoga agreed. "Just…just hand me a towel, okay?"

* * *

When Ukyo came downstairs, her father was still in the kitchen, sitting in a chair. The mess had been cleaned up and he looked as if he'd composed himself a little, but he was still looking a little paler than usual.

Taking a deep breath, Ukyo began to tell the story.

"What kind of person have you brought home with you, Ukyo?" Her father said eventually, his voice quiet and a bit harsh.

Even after explaining everything about Ryoga's curse to her dad, he still didn't seem any more inclined to settle down.

"Dad, please—"

"You're telling me he's got some sort of_ bizarre_ curse that— that— and he's got _no sense of direction_? Who _is_ this boy?" Her father's voice was rising in volume now, broadcasting just how upset he was over the news. He usually never yelled. Ukyo had always been told she'd inherited her temper and her powerful set of lungs from her late mother.

Ukyo sighed in frustration; she hadn't wanted to, but after she'd told her father about Ryoga's Jusenkyo curse, he had demanded to know if there was 'anything else wrong with the boy', and she'd supposed it would be best to just get his navigational problem out of the way. "Dad, it's just like the Jusenkyo curse that Ranma has that I told you about, right? And it doesn't matter if he's—"

"I don't think I _like_—"Masahiro began angrily, but was interrupted by his daughter.

"Well, you _should_ like him!" Ukyo snapped, finally getting fed up. "You should like him a _lot_!"

"_What_?" Her father looked utterly flabbergasted now.

"Because he is the only reason why I can actually feel good about the fact that you've ended my engagement with Ranma!" She blurted forcefully.

Masahiro halted, blinking. "Ukyo…?"

Ukyo gritted her teeth in determination. "I've got my restaurant and I've got a nice apartment, but I've been alone a _lot_, dad, because of that stupid deal you made all those years ago, but I'm not alone anymore, and if you think you can—"

Her father cleared his throat then, obviously trying to start over in a more diplomatic way, the volume of his voice lowering. "Ukyo, I'm…you know I'm sorry for what I did, but do you really think you should…I mean, do you actually _know_ this boy?"

"Yes." Ukyo smiled.

"And _how_ do you know him?" He asked with concern.

She hesitated a little. "Well…the thing is, we've been living together in Nerima…"

Her father's face went even paler than before. "_Living_ together…?"

"It's not like that!" Ukyo objected. "It's just because he's working at Ucchan's! He has to live with me, or he'd just get lost and wouldn't be able to get to work!"

"But it's not just…I mean, he's not just your employee, is he?" He asked apprehensively.

Ukyo reddened. "I don't know, dad. He's my friend, okay? My best friend."

"Ukyo, you two haven't…?" Her father leaned across the kitchen table, looking worried. "_Have_ you?"

Ukyo closed her eyes, sighing a bit irritably. He _would _ask a question like that! "_No_, dad. We haven't." Gods, he was probably afraid of getting a litter of piglets for grandchildren or something, wasn't he?

"Okay, that's good, at least." This seemed to calm him down a little, as he slumped back into his chair. "But Ukyo, you have to answer me one question. Has this Hibiki ever managed to do a perfect Shi Shi Hokodan?"

Ukyo gave her father a long look before nodding reluctantly. "Yes, he has."

"Do you have any idea of the amount of depression that has to exist in the human mind in order for that to work?" Her father asked her gravely.

"I know," Ukyo said quietly, "But I've also seen it first-hand that he's not able to do it anymore."

"Why not?" He asked, mystified.

"Because he's not depressed enough anymore," Ukyo said firmly, looking into her father's eyes. "He's not even depressed enough to do a _regular_ Shi Shi Hokodan, if you have to know."

"And why isn't he depressed?" Masahiro asked, just a tad suspiciously.

"I think it's because…" Trying to gather her thoughts, she hesitated slightly before trying again. "He's not depressed because he's starting to feel happier. Because he's not alone. Because he's got me."

Her father went silent for a while before his mouth tightened with determination. "But Ukyo… if you're the thing that keeps him from getting depressed…if you ever break up with him, don't you see that the Shi Shi Hokodan would probably be worse than ever?"

Ukyo bit her lip, looking down. "We're not together like that, dad, so I can't '_break up' _with him. And I'm not leaving him like a friend, either. I like having him in my life."

"Ukyo, the boy is nice and everything, it's not that, but…" Masahiro shook his head. "But I just hope you know what you're doing."

"Dad, I'm not sure if you understand what I'm trying to tell you…" Ukyo took a deep breath. "After me and Ryoga came to be better friends, and he started working for me, we just…I feel like the quality of my life has increased so much— and not only that, I feel like I'm doing the same thing for him." She clasped her hands in her lap. "I'm not alone anymore, I have someone. Life is fun again, it's exciting. Life is really worth living. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, I do." Masahiro said, his gaze moving inquisitively across his daughter's face. _I think I understand it a whole lot better than you think you do, actually,_ he added to himself, shaking his head almost imperceptibly at what he saw there. It seemed like he would have to make up with this strange boy whether he liked it or not, because by the looks of things, he would be around his daughter for a very long time.

As Masahiro got up to continue making dinner, he wondered if _he_ had been that blind when he was young.

"You better go get Ryoga again if you want to eat dinner tonight," He told his daughter, sending her a small smile over his shoulder. Ukyo's eyes widened in perplexity, but then she grinned broadly, her eyes practically sparkling with joy like a small child at a midsummer festival fireworks display.

"Thank you, dad!" She exclaimed happily, lunging at him to give him a bone-crushing hug, followed by a peck on the cheek. "You won't be sorry," She giggled, "Ryoga's a pretty good cook, actually!"

He smiled in a reconciliatory manner. "If he cooks anything as well as he fights, he should be pretty good,"

Ukyo sent him a relieved, slightly tearful smile as she let him go. "Thanks, dad— really! You don't know how much this means to me!"

Masahiro shook his head. "You're embarrassing me," he joked, making shooing motions at her. "Now run along and get the boy before we all starve."

"Okay!" Ukyo said giddily before she shot out of the kitchen, thudding up the stairs to her room.

Masahiro sighed, feeling resigned. He'd figured out _exactly_ how much it meant to her— otherwise he wouldn't have agreed to give Ryoga a second chance like that. And he owed it to his daughter, after all he'd done. He was also forced to feel a little sympathy for the boy since, like Ukyo, he'd had the unfortunate experience of having the Saotomes mess up his life in one way or the other.

"I suppose she could've picked a worse one…" He mumbled to himself as he started selecting some vegetables from the fridge. The boy was weird, yes, but it was better to be weird than some rotten bastard, which he knew from his experiences out on the road that there existed many of in the world.

* * *

"Ryoga!"

She'd left him in her room while she talked to her father, and he looked a little forlorn and quite anxious where he sat on her bed in a new change of clothes from his backpack. She guessed he'd heard some of the angry shouting and none of what had come later, and had come to his own conclusions about what was going to happen.

One look at her happy expression seemed to be enough, though, and he looked hopeful as he stood up, crossing the floor to meet her halfway. "Wh-what happened? What did he say? Do I have to go?"

"No! No, you can stay!" She smiled excitedly, looking like she was about to burst. Ryoga's heart caught in his throat when she suddenly moved forward to hug him, squeezing him in an enthusiastic way, again reminding him that while she wasn't as strong as himself by far, she was still unusually strong for a girl; even for a martial artist girl. "Oh, Ryoga!" She breathed. "I'm just…I'm so relieved! I thought dad was gonna— wait, you know what? I don't even wanna think about it!"

"Me, neither," Ryoga mumbled as he buried his nose into her hair. This was absolute heaven, wasn't it? He could stay with her, he still stood a chance with her, he still had time to try to work out how to tell her how he felt. "Thank you, Ukyo," He said whole-heartedly when they parted from the quick hug.

"Come on, dad's waiting," She said urgently, ushering him out of her room and down the hall.

"Uh…" Ryoga started to feel just a little sweaty with nerves. "W-wait! Sh-should I really— does he still want me to—"

"Don't worry," Ukyo told him reassuringly, squeezing his hand briefly. "I'll help make dinner too, okay?"

"O-okay…" He agreed reluctantly; he hadn't been much good at refusing her things before, but now that he'd realized he loved her, it was an even more impossible task.

When they walked into the kitchen, Ukyo's father turned and gave them a short, welcoming smile before turning back to the counter, where he was chopping onions. "Ryoga, why don't you start by chopping some broccoli for me, okay?" He suggested without any preamble. "And Ukyo, if you two haven't eaten the uiro that Ryoga bought from Grandma's shop yet, why don't we have that for dessert?"

Ukyo exchanged a bewildered glance with Ryoga before smiling a little. "Sure, dad."

Her father had obviously chosen to apply the good old let's-forget-it-ever-happened approach to the problem, but Ukyo supposed it was okay for tonight. If she knew her father right, he'd bring up the subject sooner or later anyway.

* * *

They'd put it off for as long as they could, but now Kasumi had called them down to dinner and they couldn't hide anymore without being rude. Pausing in the hallway, they took a moment to collect themselves before facing the inquisition they knew would be waiting for them. Taking a deep breath, Ranma starting moving towards the dining area.

"Ranma?" Akane stopped him with a hand on his arm. "If they start nagging us about marriage, let's just pretend we're deaf, okay?" They'd talked about it, and they'd both agreed they weren't really ready to get married yet— they weren't even out of high school, for goodness' sake!

Ranma blinked at her in surprise, stared at the small grin on her lips. "Akane…do you…are you…" He cleared his throat a bit self-consciously. "What do you think we should tell them?"

She shrugged. "That it's our own business, I guess."

His own mouth quirked into a grin as well at that. "And do you think they'd buy that?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

"And what if…you know…um…" He looked down at his feet, not looking forward to asking the question. "What if they force us to sleep in the same room?"

Akane blushed at the unexpected question, but soldiered on. "Well…would you really miss your father's snoring?"

Ranma's eyes went the size of teacups. "Wh-what?"

Akane stepped closer to him, lowering her voice. "Look, Ranma…all I'm saying is that maybe, you know…maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea for us to share a bedroom. We don't have to…uh…we don't have to _do_ anything, it's just…maybe then they would leave us alone?"

Ranma looked as if he was going to break into a cold sweat. "I wouldn't try anything, anyway!" He blurted, looking pale.

Akane's eyes narrowed, and she yanked him to her by his shirt collar, snarling. "How can you— are you still trying to insult me like that even after—

Shaking his head profusely, he put his hands on her shoulders, leaning into her face. "No, I was just— if we ever tried to…uh…you know…then Nabiki would be around to take pictures and make videos and audio tapes and gods know what!" He whispered hurriedly. "She'd probably put it all out on the internet, too, if she only thought it'd make her any money!"

"Oh." She said flatly, letting go of his shirt. That was a truly horrifying thought, enough to turn even the most infatuated young man off.

"Yeah," He nodded, relieved that he'd been able to prevent a big fight; he was getting good at that lately, he'd noticed. Everything was just a little bit easier when he could say some nice things to her without having to worry about what she'd interpret them as— now she wouldn't interpret them as hidden insults, and now he wasn't afraid of her interpreting them as compliments anymore— and because now, he was even allowed to apply a little physical contact to gently steer them away from a quarrel.

"You could sleep on the floor if you wanted to, I don't mind." She looked away, fidgeting. "And we could maybe get to talk a little, couldn't we? At night, I mean. We could get some time alone without having to sneak around…"

Ranma took another deep breath in an attempt to compose himself. "W-well…I guess…if they ask us, but…they wouldn't let us share a room unless we were married, would they?"

Akane shrugged, her cheeks red. "I suppose…I suppose I could talk to dad about it…"

Ranma raised a critical eyebrow. "Oh, sure, because he's so reasonable, right?" He said sarcastically.

Akane pursed her lips in irritation at his description of her father, but she was determined to keep her voice down. "More reasonable than _your _dad, in any case," she hissed back.

"Oh, yeah?"

They glared hotly at each for a moment, their fists cocked, before they both deflated.

"What was I even thinking, defending my honourless excuse for a dad?" Ranma scoffed. Must be the sexual frustration talking, he added miserably to himself. "Both our fathers are insane,"

"Yeah…" Akane mumbled wearily.

"But I guess we should at least try to talk to them, huh?" He went on.

She nodded in agreement, and they walked down the hall and stepped into the living room. The chorus of cheers that met them was almost deafening in its intensity.

Genma was dancing around and cheering, Soun was cheering and crying at the same time, Happosai was cheering while showering them with confetti shaped like tiny panties, Nabiki was taking pictures while cheering and Kasumi had prepared the biggest festive dinner ever to be seen within the walls of the Tendo house.

Worst of all, everyone seemed to be dressed in their finest attire, and the two victims of all this thought they could see a two traditional kimonos, one intended for a bride and one for a groom, displayed on hangers at the back of the room.

This was going to be difficult.

"Maybe if we just keep eating, we don't have to answer any questions," Ranma muttered to her out of the corner of his mouth.

Akane had to grin at that, just a little. "Tempting, but I think the time has come to speak our minds…" She whispered back.

Ranma groaned. "I was afraid of that…"

* * *

It was a hot day, made even hotter by the fact that Ukyo had been outside, having herself a long morning jog. Ryoga was going to the construction site today, but he didn't have to be there before eleven, apparently, so he was in the backyard, doing whatever he did to keep in shape. Ukyo made a mental note to join him the next time, so she could get a better look at how he trained— or maybe she could suggest that he could join her for her morning jog?

Her father was visiting some neighbour for an early lunch or something, but he'd promised to drive Ryoga to work. Ukyo made another mental note to thank her father again later. That was really rather decent of him, how he was trying to patch things up with her by being nice to Ryoga.

Ukyo stopped by the kitchen to get herself a drink of water; her top clung to her like a second skin, her bangs plastered to her forehead. She was longing for a shower as she stretched herself, trying to work out all the kinks in her back and shoulders as she walked upstairs.

Stepping into the bathroom, she started peeling off her top and her bra before kicking off her socks and then going to work on her shorts. As she got to her panties, however, she halted, slowly turning crimson. They felt...moist. Still blushing, she shrugged the discovery off.

This happened sometimes when the weather was really hot; that she turned wet without really noticing and without...um, stimulation. Ukyo grabbed for her towel, but as she picked it up, it accidentally brushed against one of her breasts, teasing the nipple. This small gesture, however, made an unreasonable amount of arousal course through Ukyo's sweaty body. She froze, breathing heavily.

Without thinking, she dipped her hand down between her legs, breathing heavier as she felt the slippery wetness, her fingers brushing over her clit and entering her for a moment before teasing her button again. Her legs shaking, she stepped into the shower stall.

She knew Ryoga was home, but he was in the backyard, and he'd promised not to walk off somewhere and get himself lost before she came to get him, so he wouldn't be able to hear her if he was still back there, and her father wouldn't be home for another hour or so.

No longer caring, Ukyo started tending to herself. Judging from the positively electric reaction a mere brushing of fingers had elicited, it had been far too long...

Right before she reached her destination, an image flashed across her brain of _him_, kneeling in front of her in the shower, using his tongue where she was—

"R-RYOGA!"

The name had escaped her before she knew it, her body trembling harshly as the pleasure took her.

For Ukyo, the world seemed to stop, although the showerhead, unfazed by the shocking utterance, continued to pour warm rain over her body. Ukyo stood perfectly still, as if set in stone, her jaw slack, eyes horrified and her hand still resting between her legs. After a while, she quickly began to wash her hair and body.

When she had finished rinsing herself off, however, unfortunately her brain started working again.

"I...I just...I was doing that...and I...his name...while I was...his name..." She muttered aimlessly as she got out of the shower stall with stiff movements, starting to towel herself off. "I— can't— _believe_— this..."

There was an abrupt, loud pounding on the door. "UKYO!"

Ukyo gasped and jumped, almost tripping over her own feet, knocking down her make-up, some toothbrushes and various other toiletries with her elbow as she spun around to face the door.

"Ukyo! What's wrong?"

Oh gods, it was _Ryoga_…!

"Wh-what?" She stuttered, her hands shaking as she grabbed her bathrobe and started pulling it on.

"Are you okay in there?" Ryoga leaned anxiously forward, putting his ear to the door in hopes of finding out what was going on; what if she'd cut herself or hit her head or something and was too dizzy to think straight?

"Yes!" Ukyo replied, panicking. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I heard you screaming!" Ryoga tried the handle of the door, but it was locked, and he didn't want to get on Mr. Kuonji's bad side again by breaking the door, but her tone of voice didn't sound right, and he was getting just a little frightened for her. If he really had to, eventually he _would_ break down the door for her sake. "I got here as fast as I could," He explained, nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot, "I-I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner, I— are you sure you're okay? What was that loud crash just now?"

_He heard me…!_ That's when she realized that the bathroom window was in fact partly open. Ukyo felt sick, swallowing against the dizziness as she watched the door handle jiggle with his attempts to get in. _He heard me…!_ "I…I just thought I saw a spider!" She called out thickly, busying herself by gathering up the things that had fallen down.

"Ukyo?" He sounded so worried; he obviously wasn't buying her cover story. No wonder, either, considering the state of her voice, and it was apparent that he wasn't going to let up until she opened the door.

So she did, a cloud of steam following her out into the hallway, her terrycloth bathrobe on crooked and her wet hair hanging limply around her shoulders. "Uh…hey…"

Ryoga stared. Now _there_ was a vision: Ukyo fresh from the shower, her hair still dripping wet, her face flushed, almost beet red, you might say…and she looked a little hazy, her eyes bright…absolutely beautiful…

He cleared his throat. "What happened?"

"There was just…this _spider_…or this thing that _looked_ like a spider, anyway…" she mumbled lamely.

Ryoga frowned. "You sounded like you were in pain,"

To her own horror, Ukyo felt tears prickling her eyes; she hadn't planned on this! She hadn't planned on calling his name! It had just slipped out! And she almost _never_ masturbated, anyway, so wasn't it just her luck that he'd _heard_ it when she actually _did_ do it? How loud had she been exactly? And he thought she sounded like she was in _pain_? Had she really sounded _that_ awful?

How much more humiliated was she supposed to get?

"I…I…I was just scared, okay? I hate spiders!" She exclaimed desperately, her fists clenching as the embarrassment, shame and guilt suddenly melted into anger.

"U-Ukyo…?" Ryoga shrank back, bewildered by her odd mood.

"Just…just leave me _alone_, okay? Everything's _fine_!" She barked.

"Ukyo—"

She felt bad for yelling at him— as if her perverted thoughts were somehow_ his_ fault— but she just couldn't calm herself down. "Just go _away_! Go a-away!" She shouted, her voice breaking as she shoved him roughly aside to get past him.

"B-but—"

Choking on a sob, she fled down the hall to her room, slamming the door in his face when he tried to follow after her.

Ryoga stood miserably outside her door, listening to her crying for couple of minutes before he finally decided to simply leave her be. Whatever it was that was wrong with her, he figured, she probably needed a little time alone.

And he really, really hoped it wasn't because of something _he'd_ done.

* * *

She couldn't deny it now.

She'd known she was attracted to him, but she hadn't known— that was— that was just _too much_! That hadn't just been her thinking he was cute, or wanting to give him a peck on the lips, that hadn't just been some sort of random fantasy; that had been something that she wouldn't mind happening in real life.

But it had been _too_ real! Just too damn…_real_…!

Maybe she'd been aware of it at some sort of level before, since she liked how he looked and since the casual touches she'd started to allow herself to give him had only increased in numbers— from a silly holding of hands to a kiss on the cheek to actually hugging him while he was _in the bathtub_, for goodness sake!— but this had been so blatantly obvious even to her that there was no denying it, which was why she now found herself lying face down on her childhood bed, crying her eyes out with confusion.

After what had happened in the bathroom, her world had been spun around, turned sideways and shook backwards and forwards until her head rattled.

She really, really hadn't expected to call out his name. And especially not that loudly.

What was she supposed to do? Would it actually be smart to enter into an actual relationship with Ryoga? And who was to even say that he felt the same? What if he wasn't attracted to her in that way at all, what if—

_You stupid, stupid girl, you know better than that! Have some confidence!_

The boy went to pieces if she sent him a cute smile and he'd gotten a nosebleed just because she'd kissed him on the _cheek_—

_That could be any girl, though, any girl could get that reaction out of him. It doesn't have to mean it's me. Why did he kiss me on my forehead that time when it must've been plain to see that I wanted to be kissed on the mouth? _

She'd told herself, later, that the thing in Nara had just been a dud. It had just been the intense emotional situation that had made her want to kiss him like that, right?

But she'd quickly discovered she was just fooling herself.

She sat up on her bed, staring blankly at the floor, chewing at a fingernail. There were so many things screaming at her in her in her mind, telling her that she didn't have to worry, that he felt something for her as well, but she didn't dare to listen to it, didn't dare to remember, because she had no way of being sure, and for every memory that appeared in her mind that proffered some evidence of how he was attracted to her, another cold, reasonable thought would jump out at her, denying it all. And she was still so confused about what she herself was even feeling.

After a while, she got up and started walking around in her room, still the blank look on her face. Stopping in front of the mirror, she looked at herself, at her crooked bathrobe, her tangled hair and her face, puffy and pink from crying.

"I look awful," She told her reflection, flinching at how thick and hoarse her own voice sounded. And that was what she'd looked like to him, not even ten minutes ago. How could he possibly be attracted to her?

Right then, there was something awfully tempting about dressing up in a completely figureless sweat suit and let her hair hang in her face, hiding herself from the world as she'd done during her worst times when posing as a boy— this whole situation had suddenly got her feeling like that melodramatic, hormonal fourteen-year-old again.

After she'd dried her hair and put on her underwear, Ukyo was frantic as she searched through her wardrobe. What was she supposed to wear?

Finally, she chose an ordinary pair of jeans and a white T-shirt that wasn't too tight. If she looked casual enough, he wouldn't be able to see through her, right?

_Yeah, right._

Her hand shook as she went to open the door to her room.

Her father had been right in his worries. She really didn't know what she was doing.

* * *

When she came downstairs, he saw that the skin around her eyes were a bit red and swollen, and when he anxiously tried to meet her gaze, she looked away. He swallowed; he never liked not knowing the reason why she was upset, and this time it was particularly bad as he couldn't ever remember hearing her cry before, not like that.

Ukyo noticed him stand up when she walked into the kitchen, like some kind of Victorian gentleman politely standing up when a noblewoman entered the room or something, and she clasped her hands in embarrassment, staring at a spot on the floor.

Then he seemed to get very busy, rushing forward to pull out a chair for her and bustling around the kitchen looking for something. She reluctantly accepted the chair and watched in bemusement as he prepared some cold tea for them with jittery movements, constantly glancing back and forth from his work and her.

"I went to get rid of the spider for you, but I couldn't find it." He said eventually.

"Spider?" She asked, confused.

"The one you said you saw in the bathroom…?"

Ukyo's face broke out in a forceful blush. "I…I didn't actually _see_ a spider, I just thought I did…"

Ryoga watched her red face in bewilderment. "Oh."

"Yeah…"

"Ukyo?" His gaze went serious as he sat down on the chair opposite hers, handing her a cup of tea. "Are you okay?"

"I…I don't…" Ukyo mumbled, looking away again.

"Is this about your engagement?" He asked fearfully; he certainly wasn't going to ask her if it had anything to do with her mother. He didn't dare to, for fear of upsetting her further. "D-do you regret not being with…?"

Ukyo gave him a long, absolutely crestfallen look before bursting into tears. He still thought she _cared_ about that? "N-no!" She sobbed, crying because it was so horribly sad that he couldn't see how she felt, but also crying because she felt relieved that he _couldn't _see it, crying over the memory of the humiliation she'd suffered today, crying because she felt so utterly confused and crying simply because of the emotional overload of it all. "It's not about th-the stupid e-engagement, for fuck's sake!"

"U-Ukyo…?" The look he gave her was so raw with concern and helplessness that her breath hitched in her throat in a way that had nothing to with crying. It was the shock of having someone look at her like that, having _Ryoga_ look at her like that, like his world was falling to pieces simply because she was bawling like a child in her father's kitchen.

His fingers were brushing against her arms in a tentative, skittish way, as if he was afraid he'd break her or something, and her heart thudded painfully in her chest as she stared at him through a haze of tears, stared at him hovering around her, trying to reach out, trying to touch her, help her, and not daring to, and somehow she couldn't stand it—

When she collapsed into his arms and he caught her sobbing form, it felt so frighteningly natural, and she felt so stupid.

_What do you think, Kuonji? Why do you think you're so upset? Why do you think you're crying your heart out? Do you think it's for no reason whatsoever?_

She knew why; it had been mercilessly and brutally honestly carved in stone in her consciousness.

_It's because I love you,_ she thought, and for a second she was deathly afraid she'd said it out loud, but for some reason, the relief of finding it wasn't so only made her cry even harder. She supposed it was meant to be a happy occasion to find out you loved somebody, but it was so overwhelming, so different than anything she'd ever felt before that she had no possible way of controlling herself.

Wasn't this completely irrational? Ukyo wondered to herself as she just couldn't stop crying. Wasn't it extremely silly to be seeking comfort with the very person who had indirectly caused her to cry? The only person to whom she _couldn't _explain why she was crying?

_Why don't I have any friends?_ Ukyo wondered in half-hearted bitterness as she clutched Ryoga's shirt in her fists and pressed her weeping eyes to his warm, fabric-covered chest. _Why don't I know any nice girls I could ask for advice or something? _

_Oh, right. I'm an okonomiyaki-obsessed, workaholic cross-dresser, that's why. I forgot._

"Ukyo, Ukyo…hey, Ukyo…?" Ryoga murmured continuously, trying to soothe and shush her. "C'mon, don't cry," He begged softly.

She said nothing, only gave a sort of hiccupping little sob and buried her face further into the now damp front of his shirt.

"Ukyo…It's really hard to comfort somebody when you don't know what's wrong," He told her gently but meaningfully. _When I have no words, all I can do is touch you, _he added to himself, swallowing as he was barely holding her shoulders while she clung to his shirt, sobbing. _And I don't know how I'm allowed to touch you before it's wrong… _

If he held her closer, was that within the bounds of friendship? If he kissed her hair, was that okay? What about kissing her face? What about picking her up so she could rest on his lap? What about inviting her to put her face against his neck?

What about _anything_ but standing there like a wimp, holding her shoulders like they were hot potatoes, not even managing to hug a grieving friend properly?

"Tell me something, Ukyo. Tell me what I can do." He went on, starting to feel oddly calm in the face of her heart-wrenching sobs and shaking frame; he needed to be calm if she couldn't, he knew that much. This was not the time for stuttering or blushing or falling to pieces even if she was clinging to his shirt, her face warm and soft and wet against his chest. If ever there was a time to prove he could exercise self-control, this was it. She needed him.

"I…I…" She sniffled a little, her voice thick. "I c-can't…I don't know…"

And that seemed to be all he was getting out of her. Sighing slightly, he pulled her closer, into a real hug, and sighed again as he felt her relax a little, her shoulders descending and the shaking and the sobs slowly retreating. His hand started rubbing a calming circle-eight pattern on her back out of its own volition, and as he heard her let out this tiny, encouraging groan, he leaned down, pressing a kiss into her hair.

"Ryoga…" Ukyo whispered tremulously as she felt the painful tension start to leave her body along with her fit of crying. Oh gods, how was this happening to her? How was she able to stay like this against him for so long, to have him treat her with such care?

And if she wrung some more tears out of herself, would he keep holding her?

Ryoga stroked her hair as he held her close. He still didn't know what was going on, but at least she wasn't mad anymore, and he was going to keep holding her until she felt better. It was the least he could do. "You can tell me some other time," He offered softly, his lips finding her cheek, moving out of their own accord. For a second, he was terrified he's gone too far, but then she felt the muscles of her face bunching under her skin against his lips, as if she was smiling a little, and she tilted her face up slightly, pressing her cheek into his lips.

He let out a relieved breath. Apparently a kiss on the cheek wasn't out of boundaries.

Ukyo swallowed, deep in thought as she leaned against him. What was she supposed to do? He didn't seem to be demanding an explanation anymore, so she supposed she could just leave it at that, but if she said nothing, wouldn't he think she was mentally unstable or had some sort of hormonal imbalance or something if she just went on crying sprees for no good reason?

But if she didn't want to admit that she'd just done something as careless as calling out his name while masturbating when he wasn't far away…well, then she didn't actually have anything to say. He didn't buy the spider story then, and he certainly wasn't buying it now when she'd just been crying her heart out against his shirt.

So what could you do?

You had nothing to do but bide your time…

She swore she was almost falling asleep on her feet against him, completely emotionally exhausted, when he finally spoke again.

"Ukyo? Uh…I'm sorry, but I have to leave for work soon."

That jolted her out of her reverie; not only had she been holding on to him for too long, but if he had to go to work soon, it meant that her father would be home any minute. "Oh…right." She disentangled herself from his embrace, wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands and patting her hair and clothes self-consciously. "Would you like something to eat before you leave?" She asked, trying to sound as if she'd recovered from her little episode.

"You don't have to—"

"Don't be silly," She brushed away his objections, "It's no trouble."

"Okay, I guess…um…" Ryoga said reluctantly, glancing again at the clock on the kitchen wall. "How about a sandwich or something? I don't really have time—"

"Sure!" Ukyo said, too brightly. "One sandwich coming up! No ham, right?" She added as an attempt at a joke, cringing at how tremulous her chuckle sounded.

Ryoga ate the cheese and salad sandwich quickly, looking at the back of her head a bit mournfully as she stood by the counter fixing herself some lunch. He felt really bad for leaving her like this when there was obviously something wrong with her, but he had promised his superior at the construction site that he'd be there today, and he needed the money. He could always get money from his parents, now that he could actually call them, and in any case they put some money into his account every month, but it was the principal of the thing. He was getting older, and he wanted to be able to provide for himself, showing his parents they could rest easy.

Washing the rest of the sandwich down with a gulp of tea, he stood up from his chair determinedly, getting ready to give her a promise that he'd try to make her feel happy again no matter what it took—

"Hi, kids!" Masahiro said jovially as he entered the kitchen, feeling cheerful after his social visit to the neighbour lady, who like himself had lost her spouse several years ago, though her loss was more recent than his. Hasegawa Rika was a nice, middle-aged woman, surprisingly attractive for her age and with a kind of cynical humour he could really appreciate.

Better yet, they'd both known each other's spouses when they were alive, so talking about them came easier than talking about them with somebody else, who would just ask how they felt after the loss of their spouses; with Rika, he could also talk about the good times without feeling guilty, as if he wasn't being a 'proper' widower.

Rika had been living abroad for the last two years, so they'd had lunch to catch up on things and had talked for a long time, agreeing to meet again the next day since it was Golden Week and they had taken the week off from work, both because they'd been expecting visits from their children. Rika was a few years older than him and so her two sons were older than Ukyo and had already moved out. Rika had been quite impressed to hear that Ukyo had started her own branch of the family business in Tokyo at the tender age of sixteen.

He wasn't quite ready to tell his daughter about Rika yet, though, since he'd just dumped that whole engagement thing in her lap, but even more so because he wasn't quite sure if he and Rika had anything to be called a romantic relationship yet.

"So," He grinned, "did I miss anything while I was gone?"

Masahiro was met with two identically dumbfounded faces.

He blinked. "What?"

TBC.

* * *

**Author's note:** I'm not sure if I even have anything to say this time, except that the next chapter also has a slight lime warning.

I've re-written parts of Omiyage. Again. I've had to correct a few logical flaws concerning characters' physical strength, time issues and one where I wrote that Ukyo was upset about almost running on a _green_ light, afraid that she could've killed a pedestrian with her car— and running on a green light would of course only have been wrong if she was driving according to BIZARRO WORLD traffic rules!

Sigh.

Oh, and by the way…this chapter is TWENTY-EIGHT PAGES LONG, not including this author's note! A NEW RECORD! This is just getting completely out of hand, isn't it?

Ninnik

* * *


	8. Osaka III

**Omiyage: Osaka III**

By Ninnik Nishukan

* * *

**Author's note:** Mild lime warning. Very brief description of someone masturbating. And for rude language said by construction workers. You've been warned. It really doesn't require an M rating in my opinion, though. It's not very graphic at all.

* * *

As the three of them went out to the car, Masahiro walked behind his daughter and her odd friend, frowning at the back of their heads. Something had been going on before he'd come home; even if it hadn't been for the awkward silences they'd greeted him with and for their shifty-eyed, bashful behaviour, the fact that Ukyo had very obviously been crying would certainly have tipped him off, either way.

He never liked to see his daughter cry or see something that indicated that she _had_ been crying. Like her mother, Ukyo had never been one to cry much at all, which was why he always knew it had to be something very serious when she _did_ cry. He was mostly quite a laidback kind of guy, but when it came to the softer kind of emotions, he had actually been the more emotional out of Ukyo's mother and himself. It tended to be embarrassing, not only because he was a guy, but because he was perfectly aware that he looked like some kind of a gruff, hardened warrior from a samurai drama or something. People had always expected him to have a fierce temper, when it had in fact been his dainty, slim and pretty-faced wife who'd had the tendency to get really temperamental and yell a lot.

Ukyo was touching her red and slightly puffy eyes self-consciously as she waited by the car for her father to climb in and so she could say goodbye to Ryoga, apparently, and Masahiro had to wonder what in the world had been going on. The look that Ryoga was giving Ukyo told him a lot, though. The boy looked worried, uncertain, confused and frustrated at the same time, his eyes searching Ukyo's face and his hands restive by his sides. It was plain to see that whatever it was that was bugging Ukyo, Ryoga had little to no idea what it was, and was powerless to do anything about it.

It was also obvious to Ukyo's father that if he hadn't been there, Ryoga's anxious hands would have reached out for his daughter somehow. Masahiro wasn't quite sure how he felt about that.

It seemed as if he needed to talk to the boy. The drive to the construction site should give him the perfect opportunity. Sighing, he got his car keys out of his pocket and walked up to the car, but suddenly stopped as he noticed something that he hadn't seen there before.

Frowning, he leaned down and double-checked. Yes, he hadn't been wrong—it wasn't that big, but it was definitely a—

"Ukyo, why is there a dent in the car?"

Ryoga and Ukyo both turned their heads towards him in surprise, looking like they'd just been sucked into his world from a parallel universe or something. Ukyo just blinked at her father, looking puzzled.

"What?"

"A dent. In the car." Masahiro said slowly. "The car that I only just bought."

As comprehension dawned on her, Ukyo's face suddenly split into a lame grin, and she looked positively uncomfortable. "Aheheheh…"

* * *

There were so many things to make Ryoga unsettled today.

One, Ukyo had broken down into a long crying fit for reasons that were utterly unknown to him, and she wouldn't explain herself, either. That little issue was certainly going to fester nicely in his mind today as he wondered how it might somehow be his fault— because it _had_ to be his fault if she wouldn't tell him, right?

Two, he was going to work again, and besides the fact that he hadn't been there for a long while and had no idea who'd be working there now, it wasn't exactly his favourite thing to do, either. He only did the job for the money and so he could feel a little useful somewhere. The workers tended to try to give him a hard time simply because he was weird and because they knew he couldn't do anything about it if they did. His insult skills weren't the best, and if he tried to respond with a physical threat, he knew he'd be fired.

And then there was the fact that he had no idea how to explain to his boss that he couldn't do the Shi Shi Hokodan anymore. His job would be a lot harder if he couldn't clear away the rubble like that— would his boss demand that he had to move it all by hand instead?

"Ryoga, uh…about your curse…"

And three, of course there's was the fact that Ukyo's father had only yesterday found out about his shameful Jusenkyo curse and hadn't brought it up since— and Ryoga had just _known_ that the minute Mr. Kuonji and he were alone in the car, where he couldn't escape and where Ukyo wasn't around to defend him, her father was going to bring up the subject again. Besides, what else did they have to talk about? _Okonomiyaki_?

Ryoga's body went taut with nerves in the seat next to Mr. Kuonji. "Y-yes?" He answered eventually, his voice at a higher pitch than he would have liked.

"Ukyo told me about it and I just wondered…I don't quite know how to ask you this, so I'm just gonna come right out and say it, okay?"

Ryoga gulped; that did _not_ sound good. "Okay…"

"What I want to know is…your curse, is it genetically transferable?"

"Uh…" Ryoga hesitated; was Mr. Kuonji really asking what he _thought_ he was asking?

"If you had children, would they inherit your curse?" Masahiro clarified patiently.

Ryoga turned slowly red. "N-no…No, Mr. Kuonji…they wouldn't." He'd researched the Jusenkyo curses as much as he could while he was learning the Bakusai Tenketsu from Cologne, and she had told him all she knew about the Jusenkyo curses, including that little fact. Apparently, there were several records of cursed people having un-cursed children.

Masahiro sagged with relief. "And your sense of direction? Is that inherited?"

That made him pause. "I…I'm not sure…" He'd always just sort of assumed he'd gotten it from his parents, but wasn't it a bit odd that _both_ of them had no sense of direction? They weren't related, so how did that work?

Mr. Kuonji looked a little uncomfortable at that. "I see…"

There was silence for a while as they drove on.

"Ryoga?" Masahiro spoke up again, clearing his throat.

"Y-yes, Mr. Kuonji?"

"You're in love with my daughter, aren't you?"

Ryoga nearly choked on his own breath. "Wh— huh—"

Masahiro couldn't help himself, and had to chuckle just a little. "I'll take that as a big yes!"

"H-how did you…why…?" Ryoga's head spun as the implications of Mr. Kuonji's earlier questions were beginning to hit him fully. Did the man think he was planning to get his daughter _pregnant_ or something?

Masahiro shrugged. "I'm old. I know stuff."

Ryoga cringed, his head down as he idly wondered if Mr. Kuonji was going to take him someplace remote and beat the tar out of him. Or maybe he even had a shotgun or something? "I'm…I-I'm really sorry…" He said in a small voice. "I…I didn't mean to…I didn't know I would feel…"

He was shocked when Mr. Kuonji let go of a short, rumbling laugh. "Nothing to be sorry about, Hibiki!" He looked over at the boy, who was practically quaking in his boots already. "I'm not sure how I feel about all of this yet, but there's nothing to be _sorry_ about! We can't decide who we fall in love with, right? And my daughter's a nice, pretty girl, smart and strong, so it's understandable."

Despite himself, Ryoga's eyes glazed over as he immediately thought of Ukyo, and how she'd allowed him to hold her and kiss her hair and cheek just twenty minutes ago. "Yeah," He said absently, "she's wonderful…"

Masahiro glanced at Ryoga and the goofy smile spreading across his face, and frowned, elbowing him in his side. "Hey! Don't get _too_ carried away, okay?"

Ryoga jumped, startled, and looked nervously over at Ukyo's father. "Uh…s-sorry…!" He said quickly, his face reddening.

Masahiro shook his head overbearingly; the boy obviously had it bad for Ukyo. "Look, Ryoga…the thing is that I'm willing to overlook your…uh, _problems_ for the time being, because for whatever reason, Ukyo seems to care for you a lot, but as for me, I'm not too sure about this whole thing. I'm not too sure about _you_." He leaned closer, his already deep voice lowering. "_Don't_ prove me right, okay?"

Ryoga swallowed hard. "Okay."

"Look, I think you're a nice boy," Masahiro said, letting his voice mellow out a bit, "But I don't really know you. I'm just hoping you won't be doing anything to hurt my daughter. In some ways, Ukyo's had a much harder life than other girls her age." He didn't know if her daughter's change in her dress habits had been Ryoga's influence or not, but a change there had been, and he was glad of it.

When Ukyo had started dressing like a boy, she'd been at that age where boys and girls looked so much alike anyway, so he hadn't thought much about it, not only because he'd still been grieving after the loss of his wife. When Ukyo had hit puberty and was still doing it, however, well…then he'd started blaming himself and hadn't known what to do. He'd supposed it had as much to do with her mother's death as it had to do with being left behind by her fiancé and closest friend.

The first thought that had come to mind was how she lacked a female influence after her mother's death. He knew he wasn't a bad father as such, but to some degree, he'd just let her dress and act how she wanted because he'd felt so guilty about both her dishonourable engagement and the loss of her mother and because it had been easier for a somewhat conservative widower to deal with a teenage 'son' instead of a daughter. For one, he could teach her martial arts instead of the 'girly' stuff he was no good at, but as for okonomiyaki, he had planned to teach his child that trade anyway, regardless of gender.

He and his daughter had always had a good relationship, full of friendship and love and support…except for the fact that she'd insisted on acting and dressing like a boy. That was the thing that had him sometimes lying awake at night, wondering where he'd gone wrong, and what had him trying to give her dresses and things as gifts to see if she wouldn't change her mind— and it was the fact that she'd sworn off boys completely that had him _really_ worried. It wasn't that he even suspected that she was a lesbian or anything, because that might've been understandable, that might've been something he could make sense of— the problem was that she wasn't interested in boys _or_ girls, she just kind of went somewhere inside herself, forgetting or at least refusing herself anything having to do with love or sexuality, and at some point spending more and time inside her room.

Ukyo didn't actually think she _was_ a boy, though, which must've been why he'd been able to fool himself into thinking it was all somehow 'okay', but she wanted to go to an all-boys school when she got a bit older, and though he refused her to go, she'd somehow manipulated him into letting her do it anyway, despite her young age.

Then he'd assumed that a new female influence in her life would change her mind about it, so he'd reluctantly started dating again, but this had obviously been the worst thing he could've done since it only alienated her from him instead. It had been an easy task for her to get permission to go to the school after that; he was still riddled with guilt and sorrow and she was his only child, so he let her. She made such a convincing boy he had no doubt she'd fool them all, and she did. Sometimes she almost even fooled her own father.

When she'd returned to Osaka to visit him after she'd settled down in Nerima when she'd found her long lost fiancé, he'd marvelled at the transformation that had come over her. Somehow, she was a girl again. She was still dressing like a boy most of the time, but she was a girl. Therefore he'd let her stay engaged to Ranma.

Now, though, she had changed yet again, and this time it was absolutely breathtaking. She dressed like a girl twenty-four-seven— still in pants, but he'd never expected a skirt, anyway— she moved differently, she talked differently, she smiled differently. She hadn't been joking— she really _was_ happy. She was finally happy. He'd been overjoyed the other day when he'd noticed that she'd even worn the beautiful yukata he'd bought her the year before.

And she'd said her happiness was because of this boy sitting next to him right now, whatever it was that he'd done. So was it any wonder that Masahiro found it hard to be too harsh towards him, no matter how odd he was?

"I would never hurt her, Mr. Kuonji." Ryoga promised, his face set in grim determination. "Seeing Ukyo sad is the worst thing I know. I just want to make her happy however I can." His brow furrowed as he thought of how she'd cried today; she'd looked and sounded so utterly miserable that it'd been like a thousand spears through his heart.

"Well, that's the right attitude, at least." Masahiro smiled. "I'll wait and see if you can put your money where your mouth is."

"Thank you." Ryoga nodded in understanding. He was being given the benefit of the doubt by Ukyo's father, and he knew he should feel grateful. It was conditional, though; Mr. Kuonji was telling him in a polite way that for the time being, he was basically just watching Ryoga, waiting for him to screw up.

Masahiro shook his head. "Don't thank me, thank Ukyo."

Ryoga blushed violently, then, and a light went on in Masahiro's mind. "Ah, I see. She doesn't know yet, does she?"

Ryoga shook his head, fixing his gaze on his feet. "N-no…"

Masahiro sighed. He'd been right about the boy from the start. He was so painfully shy her daughter would probably have to drag the words out of him when it came to be time for him to confess his love for her. _Just as well, really,_ he thought; at least then he wouldn't have to worry about them jumping into bed together if he turned his back for five minutes.

"Uh, Mr. Kuonji? Has Ukyo…ha she _said _anything about me?" Ryoga asked tentatively. "What does she, uh…you know…what does she think about me?"

"No offence, Ryoga, but shouldn't you ask her that yourself?" Masahiro grinned, echoing Ryoga's words from the day before.

A small grin tugged at Ryoga's lips. "Good answer."

Mr. Kuonji laughed.

Ryoga sighed in relief; okay, that had gone remarkably much better than he'd thought it would. Now he only had to worry about Ukyo and about work.

* * *

Work had started out okay. He was introduced to a few new workers at about his own age, maybe only a couple of years older, and at first it had made him feel a bit more at ease that they did hire some people of his age as well. It made him feel less young and inexperienced, like he didn't stick out like a sore thumb as much as he used to in the middle of a team of construction workers ranging from about twenty-five to forty-five, but as the day progressed, he was reminded that his age really didn't have anything to do with why he felt so ostracized at work.

Once he started doing his work as a human wrecking ball, Ryoga saw some of the new recruits gaping at him, one of them even so slack-jawed that his cigarette dropped right out of his mouth as Ryoga swung a massive I-beam onto his shoulder and strolled across the site with it. That was nothing, though; when Ryoga first used the Bakusai Tenketsu, he could see the old workers who knew him scowl skeptically at him while the new recruits had to sit down.

During all that time, Ryoga had been worrying about the Shi Shi Hokodan, but when the time came to use it, he wasn't actually all that surprised that he managed to pull it off after all. The stares of the other workers made him self-conscious and uncomfortable and made him long for Mr. Kuonji to come pick him up again after the day was done— but then he remembered how unhappy Ukyo had been that morning, and that he would somehow have to figure out how to deal with that, and so, by the time he had to clear away the rubble caused by the Bakusai Tenketsu, he was already marinating in a nice little depression without hardly even noticing.

"SHI SHI HOKODAN!" He didn't care if the other workers would think the outburst strange or not, and either way, the construction site was noisy enough for his shout to be mostly drowned out. He knew he couldn't afford to be self-conscious about using these powerful techniques in front of regular guys, because besides his inhuman strength, they were what the boss paid him for; they were the only reason why a young wanderer without a résumé like him had managed to be hired right off the street without any questions.

When there was only about half an hour left of work, one of the new recruits, whom he'd been introduced to as Hasegawa Kenichi, seemed to be curious enough to actually approach him.

"Hey, Hibiki!" The young man said as he jogged up to Ryoga, a lopsided smirk on his face.

"Hmm?" Ryoga said absently; that smirk was the kind of smirk that had little to do with friendliness. He just wanted to satisfy his curiosity, it seemed.

Kenichi wiped his brow with the small towel from around his neck, ruffling his short hair and taking a sip from a bottle of water. "You came here with old man Kuonji today, right?"

"Uh, right." Surprised by the fact that the question didn't have anything to do with his freakish strength or bizarre techniques, Ryoga turned fully towards Kenichi, giving him his attention. The guy seemed to be at least a couple of years older than himself, and he had an odd build for a construction worker; unlike the other men, who tended to be a bit heavy-set and stocky, some of the older men even with developing pot bellies as well as strong, beefy arms, Kenichi was tall and thin and seemed a little underdeveloped for this field of work. Ryoga thought he'd overheard something earlier about Kenichi's uncle owning the company, and that had to be it; Kenichi wasn't doing a bad job, but he did need to build up a bit more strength if he wanted to be more efficient.

Kenichi smiled, unexpectedly, and this time the smile was something more genuinely friendly. "He's my mother's neighbour, they go way back. Nice guy, does great okonomiyaki." He tilted his head. "Didn't know you knew anybody in the area?"

Ryoga shrugged. "I didn't— I mean, I know his daughter from back in Tokyo. She lives not far from my parents' house in Nerima. We're just here visiting her father."

Kenichi's eyebrows shot up. "Ukyo?"

"Yeah." Ryoga nodded, though there was suddenly something off about Kenichi's tone. "You know her?"

"Ukyo? The okonomiyaki transvestite? You _know_ her? You must be _kidding_!" He'd been shocked, but not really surprised to hear that the guy he'd bullied in high school had turned out to be a girl. Come to think of it, there _had _always been something odd about Kuonji Ukyo. It'd been somewhat of a sore point with him that he hadn't figured it out before despite being her neighbour for all those years, but then he'd been two years older and had never hung around her when they were kids. He only ever actually talked to her when they were in high school together, and that had only been for a year, and they'd been in different grades.

Ryoga's eyes narrowed, his eyebrows rising. "Excuse me? The okonomiyaki _what_?"

Kenichi scoffed. "She dresses like a guy, Hibiki! She's totally gender confused!"

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." Ryoga said flatly. He knew he had to keep calm; if he started a fight here, he'd get fired. He'd have to settle for simply scaring the guy silly.

Kenichi boggled at him. "Come on, man! She binds her boobs down and everything! She's a cross-dressing weirdo!"

"I _said_, I'm _sure _I don't know what you're _talking_ about," Ryoga repeated, his voice dangerously low. Nobody was going to call Ukyo names if he could help it, and nobody was going to be talking about Ukyo's breasts in front of him, even in that context. Or maybe _especially_ in that context.

"But—"

"Yes?" Ryoga asked silkily, cracking his knuckles. If Kenichi had been Ranma or Mousse or someone like that, he knew he'd have thrown the first punch already after the 'okonomiyaki transvestite' comment.

"Nothing." Kenichi said, backing off, showing some semblance of social intelligence. He was new there and didn't have the seniority to get Hibiki fired…and he certainly didn't have the strength or skills to fight him.

"Good." Ryoga said, giving him an obviously fake smile, his fangs glittering in the sunlight. Kenichi gulped as he stared at the shiny incisors. Apparently the okonomiyaki transvestite kept company that was as weird as her.

"Crazy freak," Kenichi muttered as he walked away.

He jumped with fright when there was a loud crash behind him; looking back, he saw that Ryoga had just picked up a large chunk of rubble and slammed it into another big pile of rubble with the ease of someone hurling a bowling ball at bowling pins.

"S-sorry," Kenichi stuttered; somehow, he'd suddenly felt compelled to apologize, and quickly.

* * *

Despite the awkwardness of the morning, Ukyo was starting to get into a better mood. It had been a long time since she had gotten to work at the grill with her father, and the promise of making okonomiyaki for dinner with her father did wonders for calming her down. Also, she'd spent the day at home, relaxing while Ryoga was at work, and so she'd had plenty of time to convince herself that things weren't as bad as they seemed. Luckily, her father hadn't begun asking her any uncomfortable questions, either, simply spending some time with her instead.

When he got back from driving Ryoga to work, they did some digging in the flower beds together, went for a walk to the market for some fresh vegetables and talked a little bit about nothing and everything. It was the kind of thing she'd been missing while in Nerima. And she even got an hour or so by herself to just think a little while her father looked over some paper work in his study.

Not having to worry about school or her restaurant for five minutes was a wonderful feeling, but unfortunately, it also gave her the opportunity to consider Ryoga again. Despite herself, she'd found that she was actually becoming sort of..._giddy_ about it all. She supposed it was because when he wasn't actually around for her to have to deal with, it was much easier for her imagination to run away with itself. As she lounged on the engawa, looking up into the bright sky, she allowed her thoughts to wander for just a little while as she remembered how he'd held her right there on the very same spot as they'd looked out into the garden, and she wondered again what he'd done if she'd just gone for it and kissed him yesterday. She even giggled as the thought warmed her, her cheeks reddening as she imagined what it would have felt like.

That afternoon, she felt at peace as she momentarily pushed aside the memory of the humiliation and tears of that morning and tried to look at things a bit more positively, but she knew she was probably also thinking unrealistically. There were a lot of things to deal with before she could— there were a lot of issues.

When her father returned after picking Ryoga up after work, though, the bottom of her fantasies simply dropped out. Faced with a living, breathing human being once again, things just immediately complicated themselves.

"Hi." She said quietly as he stepped into the living room, where she'd been watching some TV while waiting for them. Shutting the TV set off, she rose from the couch.

"Hi, Ukyo." He replied, his voice ripe with uncertainty, his eyes scanning her face as he tried to figure out what the current situation was. "How are you?"

Ukyo bit the inside of her lip, frowning. Great, he was walking on eggshells around her now, wasn't he? He had to think there was something seriously wrong with her after how she'd behaved that morning. "I'm fine, Ryoga." She said vaguely. "Me and dad are making okonomiyaki tonight."

He tried to smile. "Yeah? That's...it's been a while."

She nodded, trying to smile back. "Yeah. And it's gonna be much better than the ones you had at the flea market."

His smile widened just a little at what seemed like the gradual return of her confidence. "I bet."

Ukyo shrugged, feigning modesty. "Well, if you insist..."

"So..." He cleared his throat. "I'll just go and have a shower and a change of clothes before dinner, okay?"

"Okay." She nodded, looking wistfully after him as he disappeared up the stairs. Sighing, she turned to go get her dad, when Ryoga suddenly turned up at the top of the stairs again, his face beet red.

"Um, Ukyo...?" He began timidly, and despite herself, her heart rate increased. What was he looking so nervous for? Was he going to...?

"Yes, Ryoga?" She asked quietly, her feet carrying her slowly across the living room floor towards the staircase."What is it?"

He gave a sheepish grin. "Uh...which way to the bathroom again?"

Ukyo face-faulted.

* * *

During dinner, Ukyo's father provided most of the conversation, and his topic of choice seemed to be the construction site where Ryoga had worked that afternoon.

"That's where Hasegawa Kenichi works. You know, Rika's son?" Her father asked, appealing to Ukyo.

Ukyo's expression darkened. "Is it?" She said shortly, her voice tight. Her father, like all parents everywhere, simply assumed that since they'd been kids at school together, her and Kenichi had been friends. Rika was a nice lady, whom she'd been told had been one of her mother's friends when Ukyo was little, but how she'd spawned such an unpleasant son was unfathomable.

Kenichi was two years older than her, and she'd been bullied by him in junior high school when she'd been a first year and he a third year. He'd been too ignorant to figure out that she was a girl, of course, but he'd picked on her because she was shorter than the other boys, had a funny voice, was skinnier and oddly pretty— and could still kick their asses despite being half their size—because she had always had a note excusing her from P.E. even if she was obviously very physically fit, because she had a short temper and because she was too damn smart and spoke her mind too often.

She'd been so relieved when he'd graduated to senior high school, because though he was her neighbour, he never bullied her in the neighbourhood since their parents might be around to see it. He never bullied her physically, oh no, because she could kick his ass six ways to Sunday already back then, but he just made life sour for her in all kinds of little, horrible ways, like talking behind her back so she could hear, leaving notes in her locker and other things that made her cringe. He could do all these things because he knew she'd get expelled if she tried to beat him up.

When Ukyo looked at how Ryoga's face changed at the mention of Kenichi, she immediately realized that Kenichi must've said something unpleasant to him today— and maybe even about Ukyo herself. Ukyo felt her stomach churn painfully; how was this haunting her even as she was becoming a grown-up and was supposed to be far removed from her past in Osaka?

"Me and Ryoga will do the dishes," Ukyo offered, when everybody had finished their dinner.

* * *

"What's wrong?" She asked after a long stretch of relative silence, when they were almost done with the dishes.

Ryoga looked at her in surprise; he'd been just about to ask her the same thing, but he supposed he could post-pone it a little. "I did the Shi Shi Hokodan today." He told her as he took a wet plate from her hands to towel it off.

Ukyo fell abruptly silent, her father's words of warning echoing in her head. _Oh no…_

Saying nothing, she rinsed off the tea cup she'd been scrubbing and handed it to him, glancing worriedly at him.

"Not like that, no one got hurt," He said quickly when he caught the look on her face. "I had to do a couple for work to clear away the rubble after the Bakusai Tenketsu." He looked down at his hands, drying the cup. "It's just…I didn't think I'd be able to do them anymore, you know? And despite the fact that it's a pretty powerful technique, I was starting to get happy that I couldn't do it anymore because that meant that I was…well…happy. But I'm not. Not right now, not today. I'm too worried."

"Ryoga—"

"Ukyo," he interrupted her softly, putting away the cup. "Please tell me why you were crying this morning."

She felt a small shock wave in her chest, a lump forming in her throat. What he was implying, she realized, was that seeing her like that was what had made him sad enough to do a Shi Shi Hokodan again. "I can't, Ryoga." She said, her heart heavy with guilt.

"Why not?"

She shook her head. "Not yet," she said evasively, a tiny pang of fear in her.

"Ukyo…!" His tone was turning mildly reproachful now.

Again, she shook her head, but more forcibly this time. "Just…I'm okay, Ryoga. You don't have to worry about me, all right?"

When he looked unconvinced, she stepped closer to him and took his hand, her fingers weaving into his. "Really. Don't worry. It was just a little much for me. Everything that happened yesterday, with the engagement and especially with dad and with...with everything...well, it just made me think too much, that's all. But I'm fine now, so relax." She tried to smile reassuringly. "Just trust me, okay?"

"Okay." He told her eventually, nodding reluctantly. "Just…could you do me a favour?"

She blinked; she couldn't ever remember him asking her for a favour before. "What is it?"

"Could you take me out to that field again so I could try the Moko Takabisha?"

"What, _now_?"

"Please, it's important to me." He frowned uncertainly. "It's not too late, is it?"

She glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. "It's gone past nine, but…" she glanced at him and saw the resolute look on his face; it seemed as if this was really important to him. "Okay," she agreed, "I'll take you there."

His eyes lit up. "Let's go right away, okay?"

Ukyo giggled slightly at his sudden enthusiasm. "Should I bring my flashlight?"

Ryoga grinned toothily, shaking his head. "No need! The Moko Takabisha's gonna light things up good!"

"It will, with that attitude," she laughed, pulling him with her into the hallway. "Dad, we're going for a little evening stroll, be back in an hour or so!" She called towards the living room.

"Okay!" Came the reply. "I'm going to bed soon, so be quiet when you get back!"

Picking up his backpack and umbrella, Ryoga took Ukyo's hand as they walked into the dark, balmy night, wondering if the sky would indeed be lit up like fireworks, hoping he'd be able to recapture that elusive sense of happiness and confidence he'd found.

* * *

The field was dark, except for some light from the lamp posts on the roadside and from the stars up above, but she still managed to relocate the stone bench she'd used as her spectator's seat the last time, and he put his backpack and umbrella next to her so they would be out of the way. Luckily, the sun had dried up all the mud from the last time so they didn't have to slip and fall in the dark.

She watched the outline of him as he took his position at a safe distance from her, and saw a faint glow gather around him as he focused his ki.

"Moko Takabisha!" He shouted suddenly, and she leaned forward excitedly, crossing her fingers for him as she silently cheered him on.

There was indeed a blast of energy, then, a nice, bright yellow lighting up the dark, illuminating his face, deep in concentration, but that was just about the only thing it did, too, before it tumbled to the ground a few feet away, causing nothing but a small dent in the dry, cracked mud.

Ukyo stood up from the bench, taking a few steps towards Ryoga. "What was...?"

Ryoga bit his lip; he'd known that if he even managed to do the Moko Takabisha at all, it would be small at first, but that had just been kind of...pathetic, really. "Um..." He turned his head towards her. "I...I don't seem to...I can't..."

Ukyo frowned at him curiously in the dark, taking another few steps towards him. "You don't have the confidence?"

"No, not really." He said reluctantly; at first, he'd been positive-minded since Ukyo had seemed to be feeling better and since he'd been keen about getting to try the technique again, but now he realized he'd been too hasty. He was pleased that he'd even managed to exert any positive ki at all, but it was far from good enough. Would he ever be able to do this at all? Was he doomed to churn out nothing but heavy, negative ki forever?

"Um...is there anything I can do?" Ukyo asked anxiously.

Ryoga felt his face flush then, as he remembered what she'd done the last time, and he slowly backed away a little. "I...that's not really necessary, Ukyo..."

"Okay, um...look, can I try this?" Ukyo suggested, hoping it would take some of the focus and pressure off of him if she was the one being watched for a while, if she was the one having to perform.

"Try...?" Ryoga stepped towards her. "You wanna try the Moko Takabisha?"

Ukyo shrugged, nodding. "Or the Shi Shi Hokodan, whichever works."

Ryoga gave her a puzzled look. "Uh...well, why not?" He paused. "Do you think you can do it?"

Ukyo grinned at that, cracking her knuckles. "Now that sounds like a challenge to me."

At the sudden self-assertion pouring into her voice, he found himself grinning as well, relieved that she really did seem to be doing better, whatever it was that had been wrong with her. "Let's just see you try it." He prompted, giving a short, intrigued laugh as he moved aside and gave her center stage.

Ukyo chuckled softly as she took the spot vacated by him and he went over to sit on the bench; it sounded like her ploy had worked. Maybe he would even try the Moko Takabisha again afterwards.

Squaring her shoulders, Ukyo exhaled calmly. Well, this could be interesting; it had been ages since she'd tried a new technique. Feeling somewhat geared about the whole thing, Ukyo grinned as she assumed the same position Ryoga had taken, her back straight, her chest puffed out and her arms spread, bending at the elbows. Breathing evenly, she focused her positive ki, and as she gathered her hands, she could feel the energy rippling up and down her arms as she giddily thought about the amusement and interest she'd caused to appear in Ryoga's voice. The fact that she could always turn his mood around so easily was a constant source of pride and happiness with her.

"Moko Takabisha!" She cried loudly, the air crackling around her as a hand ball-sized, yellow glow appeared in front of her hands, only to grow in size and then leave her, shooting across the field at high speed, never stopping until it hit a small tree, splintering one of its thin branches.

When Ukyo heard Ryoga let out a heavy, surprised breath, she realized that she, too, had been holding her breath. "That was...oh, wow..." She mumbled to herself, looking flabbergasted.

Ryoga stared. He'd known that if she managed to make the Moko Takabisha work, it would be better than his, because she was inherently more confident and happy than himself, but it was still a shock to him that she'd managed to do it on a first try. Sure, it was far from as powerful as Ranma's, but still— that was just—

Scrambling to his feet, Ryoga practically bounced over to her, feeling both incredulous and proud of her, and almost bowled the stunned Ukyo over as he picked her up and spun her around. "That was _amazing_!" He cried excitedly as he hugged her. "I can't believe you just— wow!" Ryoga's heart soared; if she was able to do the Moko Takabisha like that, she couldn't be very unhappy after all, could she?

The sudden hug and the onrush of an enthusiastic and pleased Ryoga, enveloping her in warm, strong boy arms and making her stomach flutter as he spun her around, came as another shock to her system, and Ukyo was trembling as he finally put her down again. Usually he was so reserved— he'd only ever taken the initiative to hug her once before, and that had never been as forcefully affectionate as this. Her legs wobbled as she finally realized that she'd in fact agreed to go out into an abandoned field in the dark with a boy she was becoming painfully attracted to and had no idea what to do about. The casual atmosphere from before evaporated as her confidence fled her, the intimidating phrase _I love you_ looming dangerously on the horizon of her mind...

Ukyo gulped loudly as she listened to a seemingly oblivious Ryoga still laughing happily. Had he known? Had he thought about it at all? Had he even considered that they would be alone together out here in a dark, hot and humid night?

Her entire body shivered as his laughter ended gradually and he simply smiled at her, looking relieved. He probably thought everything was okay now, since she'd just exhibited that much confidence, but nothing was okay. Nothing. She was still nervous and ashamed and disoriented and indecisive and—

—and utterly, utterly frightened, yet somehow still painfully hopeful...

"You want to try it again?" Ryoga suggested, and she wanted to scream a refusal because she was so conflicted right now that she knew she couldn't do the technique again, but he sounded so eager about it that she couldn't say no, and besides…if she did say no, he'd think there was something wrong again.

_But there is, isn't there?_

Ukyo found herself nodding instead, almost mechanically moving into the position again, her thoughts miles away. There was silence, then, and she realized that Ryoga was staring at her.

"What?" She asked, shifting awkwardly.

"Um...that's not the pose for the Moko Takabisha." Ryoga pointed out slowly. "That's the Shi Shi Hokodan."

Ukyo blushed; her confidence had sunk so low that she couldn't even pretend. Her body had acted all on its own, adopting the slumped pose of the Shi Shi Hokodan, her arms crossed over her chest, almost as if she was trying to physically defend her own heart. "Y-yeah," she stuttered," I thought I'd try that next, if that's okay."

"Sure," Ryoga shrugged, feeling a little disappointed as he went to sit on the stone bench again. The Shi Shi Hokodan was a can of worms that he preferred that Ukyo didn't even touch with a ten feet pole, but she was strong and she could make her own decisions, so if she wanted to try it, he couldn't stop her. He silently hoped she would fail, though. The amount of negative ki required to make even a decently sized Shi Shi Hokodan was something he wouldn't wish on anyone, especially not Ukyo.

Ryoga was leaning forward, his heart beating fast and his breath a bit irregular as he hoped fervently that she wouldn't be able to do it, when there was a sudden, huge blast of bizarrely multi-coloured energy, lighting up an entire fifty-meter radius as it bloomed from her hands with a crackle and a hiss, and he instantly recognized it as it began its trek across the field, completely out of control as it flew in an unsteady, wishy-washy arch, bumping with a sizzle against trees and rocks before it basically _demolished_ the larger tree standing on the other side of the field.

Ryoga was already running towards Ukyo, and he caught her right before her knees gave out. "What...what the hell was that?" She panted as she sagged heavily in his arms.

"That was..." Ryoga began uncertainly, his voice faint as he stared down at her face, at her mystified, somewhat scared expression.

"That was kind of the same thing that you did the other day..." Ukyo breathed, running a slow hand through her bangs, "Wasn't it?"

Ryoga nodded as he gently pulled her upright so she could stand again, still letting her lean against his chest and arm. "It...it really looked like it, didn't it?"

"Yeah..." Ukyo mumbled, looking down.

There was silence for a while before Ryoga drew a deep breath, plunging ahead. "What were you feeling?"

He felt her body give a jolt against his, then, as if she'd just received a shock. Slowly, she turned her face up, her gaze meeting his reluctantly. "Too many different things." She told him quietly, her fingers clutching weakly at his T-shirt for a second before releasing him, her arms falling to her sides.

Ryoga gulped; he had the abrupt, frightening sensation that he'd been in a confined, safe little room, but that somebody had just opened a door out to a vast space, somewhere dark and completely unknown, yet strangely alluring and full of promises. It was just that he had no idea what those promises were. He felt as he was being pulled in two directions, backwards and forwards, and his body shivered as he listened to her wavering breath.

"Why don't you take a turn now?" Ukyo suggested then, and before he could even answer, she was walking towards the stone bench again to sit down, assuming an attentive and expectant position, and Ryoga felt like someone had slammed the door to the unknown shut on him. It came as both a relief and as a disappointment.

Sighing, he tried composing himself as he desperately searched for any happy memories to fuel his Moko Takabisha with, but all his recent memories centered on Ukyo, and he knew he was feeling far too ambiguous about everything concerning her and him for it to be able to power any purely negative or positive ki. Most likely, he'd just end up doing another one of those freaky, uncontrollable ki blasts again.

Exhaling slowly, he reached out and found the memory of talking to his parents on the phone, and he actually felt himself smiling even as he thought about it; knowing that he would be able to contact his parents from now on as long he had a phone within reach really was a big comfort. If he was lucky, perhaps he'd even be able to meet them this year...?

"Moko Takabisha!"

He'd apparently done the technique without almost even thinking about it this time, and he blinked as he saw the ki blast zoom across the field in a straight, true line, creating a nice, big hole in the first tree it encountered at the end. Seconds later, he heard Ukyo applauding him, and he couldn't help but smile.

"Bravo!" She whistled, sounding impressed.

"Yeah?" He asked, perking up. "That was better, right?" It still wasn't anywhere near Ranma's, but it had to be a definitive improvement.

Ukyo grinned, nodding firmly. "Much better."

After that, things seemed almost okay again, and Ryoga kept on practicing, getting a bit better each time due to his last success. Ukyo was content to just watch him, though, claiming she was too tired to practice again.

* * *

"Ryoga?" She began, as they were walking home in the dark, both under his umbrella since it had started raining five minutes ago, and both feeling somewhat drained from exhausting so much ki; both negative and positive and something in between.

"Mmhm?" Ryoga mumbled, stifling a yawn.

"Have you ever kissed anyone before?" She asked, laughing at herself in her own mind as she realized she actually knew whether he'd ever had sex before, but not if he'd kissed or not.

She was able to ask him here and now because everything seemed so unreal out here in the dark as they were walking home again. Her thoughts were drifting away as she walked, the slap of her sandals against the road, the chirping of the crickets, the soft sounds of the rain, the ringing of a bicycle bell as someone warned them about their approach in the gloom, and the landscape and the occasional car or lone pedestrian going by all warding them against any uncomfortable silences. And there was almost none of the pressure there had been when they were out there on the field, since they were moving towards a purpose now— since they were going home, where her father was and it was all bright and safe.

Suddenly Ryoga felt awake again; that question had come right out of nowhere. His fingers twitched nervously in her hand, which was holding his, and he hoped she didn't notice. "N…n-no. Not really." He looked down. "A-Akane kissed me once when I was uh…when I was P-chan, but that doesn't really count because she didn't know it was me...and it was just a peck on the lips anyway, so…no."

"I haven't kissed anybody either," she told him, a breath of relief escaping her. "Tsubasa did manage to kiss _me_ once, but he did it when I wasn't paying attention and took advantage of my open guard to do it. I decked him after that, though, and once he woke up from being out cold, I think he decided never to try it again. Other than that, where _he_ kissed _me_, I haven't actually kissed anybody."

"Really?"

"Uh huh."

"Hard to believe," he said, in this slightly faraway tone, and she blushed as it hit her that he was in fact paying her a kind of compliment.

* * *

Ukyo was sitting sideways in the comfy chair in the living room, her feet across one of the arms of the chair and her back against the other. She was reading her book, thankful that the world seemed to move at a slow pace, not quite ready to go to bed yet.

Her father had gone to bed early, and by the looks of it, so should Ryoga have done. Ryoga had been watching television, but he'd quickly fallen asleep on the couch, and she'd just let him sleep since he'd tired himself out today, working at the construction site all afternoon and then practicing the Moko Takabisha in the evening. They'd had to go home when it had started raining, though, since P-chan wouldn't be much use for training.

Ukyo wondered idly if he would have just kept going for many hours yet, had it not been for the rain. Male martial artists were just so persistent and stubborn and— she stopped herself, smiling as she realized that the description could easily be applied to the female ones as well.

Ukyo thought lazily that she'd go to bed soon, she just had to read for a little while longer...

She sighed in contentment at the feeling on the soft chair against her back, wallowing in the silence inside and the light drizzling of rain outside that seemed to surround the house like a soft embrace. Again, she sighed, curling her toes up inside her thick socks; it was quite warm outside despite the rain, the isolation in the house making the living room comfortably cool, but the floor a little too chilly. She stretched, yawned and glanced at Ryoga's slumbering form on the couch. He was still sitting up, but his head had fallen to one side, his mouth hanging slightly open, his expression blissful and his snore almost inaudible; during the last hour, the sound had become nearly as soothing as the rain outside.

She put the book aside and went over to him, deciding it was time to wake him up so he could go to bed properly. Ukyo tugged gently at one of Ryoga's bandanna tails, reluctant to break the serenity of his sleep; he deserved his rest, really.

She ran a hand through his hair and smiled as Ryoga mumbled something in his sleep and made a strange little sound, like a pleased puppy or kitten. _Or piglet_, she thought to herself, chuckling softly. Ukyo reached out to his shoulder to nudge him awake.

When he still wasn't budging or reacting at all, she decided to give him ten more minutes. Sitting down beside him, she started channel surfing. Now…there had to be something good on one of these channels somewhere, right?

She yawned as she hit three game shows in a row. Gods, there had to be something good, right? The late night news, at least!

Right…?

Ukyo suddenly found her body jolting awake as her head hit something; she hadn't even been aware that she'd dropped off. Twisting a little to the side, she looked up blearily and saw that she was sitting slouched against Ryoga's side. Other than a small twitch of his nose, he wasn't reacting to their close proximity, his head lolling backwards, baring his Adam's apple.

Her head felt heavy on his shoulder, but not as heavy as her eyelids; the world was out of focus, a grey, fuzzy place. Her cheek, pressed against his T-shirt-clad upper arm, shifted and buried itself further into him. She had few conscious thoughts; it was all simply sensing, like how her arms felt like lead, making it impossible to push herself upright and get up, like how warm he was against her, how solid and comforting his arm felt, how he had this scent like of sun-heated skin, okonomiyaki sauce, tea and the laundry detergent they shared…but how through it all, there was this warm, soothing, masculine scent she couldn't quite place because it didn't smell _like_ anything, so she named it _his_ smell as she slipped back into slumber…

* * *

About half an hour later, Ryoga began to stir. Groaning a little as he rubbed the side of his stiff neck, he tried to sit up and stretch, but found that something was leaning against him. An investigative look told him that it was Ukyo, looking quite peaceful where she half-sat, half-laid, snoring softly into his shoulder.

She was pressed closely against him, pliant and boneless, fitting against him like jelly in a mould, her hair tickling the skin of his neck, her breath against his shirt and the warmth emanating from her making him shiver with the unfamiliarity of the pleasure it caused in him and the strange sensation of being comforted as well as being scared at the same time. Almost as if in a trance, he leaned closer and closer until he touched his nose against her, taking in the sweet, tantalizing smell of her hair and scalp. Gods, she was so soft, so _warm_…!

Through the haze of fatigue, he wondered vaguely what he was doing, but then he reminded himself that _she_ was the one leaning against _him_ and why was she doing that, what was going on—

Drawing a deep breath, he slipped his arm around her and shook her gently. "Ukyo?" He hazarded.

"Nnn…!" Ukyo protested weakly, groaning and shifting against him, pulling him closer by flinging an arm across his waist and squeezing him like a giant teddy bear.

Ryoga noticed he was trembling quite badly now; with a shaking hand, he patted her face gently, trying to wake her up. "Ukyo?"

"Mmm…" She sighed and rubbed her face against his hand; Ryoga nearly panicked as he realized he was just seconds away from hyperventilating. This…this was just too _much! _She felt so impossibly _good_, but she was asleep and wasn't even aware of what she was doing and please, _please_ could someone just _tell _him what he was supposed to _do_?

"Ukyo!" His voice sounded desperate to his own ears as he shook her again; it just felt too good and he was afraid of what he might— "Ukyo! Wake up!"

_Finally_ she stirred! "Nnn?" Her grip on him slacked and she began to slowly sit up, but then she suddenly collapsed again, spread across his lap. He froze, trying to lean back. After another minute, her breathing evened out again and the soft snore came back as she buried her nose in his thigh.

_Oh, gods,_ he thought, _this is even __**worse**_

Her breath was hot against his right thigh and her breasts were squished against his other thigh, one hand resting against his belly and her hair in a messy tangle all over the place. Her round little bottom was pointing up in the air, right in his face; he could've probably bent down and kissed it if he'd been so inclined.

Ryoga gulped as he began to feel faint, the warm trickle of blood running from his nose down to his upper lip. Unfortunately, his body wouldn't let him get away with just that. As Ukyo wiggled a little in his lap, he noticed that his nosebleed had stopped and that most of the blood was in fact moving down south…

Grimacing, his eyes wide and teeth gritting, he flipped her over and picked her up so he could move off of the couch. Depositing her back on the couch, he ran across the hall to the bathroom. He didn't trust himself to stay with her. He wasn't quite certain what he would do, exactly; it wouldn't be anything bad, but he just knew he had to leave, especially because he had a certain problem to take care of…

Closing the door behind him, Ryoga flopped down into a sitting position on the toilet lid, his legs behaving like overcooked buckwheat noodles, refusing to obey him, even simply breathing feeling like a chore. With shaking hands, he undid his belt, pulled down his pants to his knees and grasped his painfully hard shaft…

Ryoga knew he probably shouldn't be thinking of Ukyo while doing this, but there was no force in the world that could've blocked out the images of Ukyo, soft and warm and sighing, writhing in his lap just minutes before. He knew he had to move fast, before somebody discovered him, but that really wouldn't be a problem this time. He was too excited and could already feel that it would be over quite quickly. As he found his release, a picture of him and Ukyo on the couch— both awake and no longer separated by layers of clothing— flashed across his mind…

Afterwards, when he'd redressed and was washing his hands, he happened to look up into the mirror and catch sight of his face, suspiciously flushed, and his eyes, glazed over and unfocused, his mouth slightly open because his breath was a little laboured from the exertion—

—and it hit him, just like that. That was in fact a lot like Ukyo had looked that very morning, when she'd been acting so strange after coming out of the shower. After calling out his name.

In a very loud voice.

Most likely in the shower.

Most likely naked.

Overcome by a sudden bout of dizziness, Ryoga was forced to sit down on the toilet lid again as his knees practically buckled. It couldn't be true, of course it couldn't, but why else had she been acting so— oh, gods, he'd been so stupid, pushing her with all sorts of humiliating questions when he should've realized—

No wonder she'd cried. If it had been him, he'd been absolutely mortified. In fact, _he_ would most likely have locked himself up in the bathroom until they had to go back to Tokyo, and even then he might've have contemplated just living out the rest of his life in her father's bathroom just so he'd spare himself the humiliation of looking into her eyes, knowing that she knew what he'd done.

So maybe he shouldn't mention it. He couldn't be sure about it, anyway; it might've been something else. And if she really _had _done what he thought she'd done— well, in that case she'd probably had some sort of…_reason_ to do what she'd done. Maybe it had just been a mistake. Maybe she'd meant to say some other guy's name— hopefully not Ranma's— but had let Ryoga's name slip just because they spent so much time together and she was used to saying it so often—

—though the thought of her doing_ that_ while thinking of some other guy was suddenly very, very painful— what if she'd said yes to dating that guy...um, what's-his-face, from her class while he'd been away, what if—

_Nononono…!_

Either way, not saying anything would be the best approach, because he was probably wrong about the whole thing.

The lovely mental image would be haunting him for a while, though.

* * *

When Ukyo woke up early in the morning, she noticed two things. One, she was wearing all of her clothes and was lying on the couch, and two, Ryoga, who'd been sleeping next to her, was missing. Frowning, she got up and staggered across the hall to check in the kitchen before she knocked on the door to the bathroom. "Ryoga?"

When there was no answer, she cracked the door open and peeked inside. What she saw made her blink. There, in the bathtub, was Ryoga, wearing all of his clothes and out like a light, a not-very-dainty-sounding snore coming from him. Although she was still wondering what in the world he was doing there, she couldn't keep from laughing.

She went over and shook him to wake him up. "Ryoga?"

He only groaned a little in his sleep.

Ukyo grinned; he must've been unable to find her father's bedroom and had given up in the end, crashing for the night in the bathtub. "Sweetie, you're gonna get a really bad ache in your neck if you keep it in that angle," She reasoned. "Not very healthy using the bathtub as your bed, you know…" She sank down on her knees beside the tub. "Wake up, Hibiki!" She tugged a little at his hair as she shook his shoulder.

"Ngh…" He murmured in a plaintive voice as his nose twitched.

"Aww! C'mon, Ryoga! Wake up!" She pouted, poking him hard in the side.

When he just groaned again and rolled halfway around, she huffed and got up, putting her hands on her hips. "If _that's_ how you're gonna be…!" She muttered and reached down to pull on his arms. She couldn't let him lie here when her father woke up and needed to use the bathroom. With a lot of effort, she managed to pull him out of the tub; he was as limp as a wet paper towel. She was strong and he wasn't that heavy for her, but he was hard to get a grip on and hard to manage because he just kept flopping around like a rag doll. Ukyo grunted with the laborious task of hoisting him on her back; since he wasn't conscious and couldn't hold onto her shoulders, she had to walk bent over double like an old crone so he wouldn't fall off.

"I really hope you appreciate this," she whispered irritably.

Not wanting to wake her father, she headed for her own room.

When she finally entered her room, she simply dropped him on her bed. Her father could think what he liked— what was he supposed to deduct from Ryoga lying fully clothed on top of her bed covers while she herself was down in the kitchen making tea, anyway?

About to leave, she halted by the door when she heard Ryoga's voice.

"Ukyo…"

She turned, smirking. "Finally awake?"

He wasn't.

She watched with fascination as he slowly rolled over on his stomach, fumbling for her pillow and hugging it to himself. "Ukyo…"

The blush that appeared on her face felt like it came accompanied by an internal explosion.

A second or two went by before she realized that her legs, unbidden, had brought her over to the bedside. Swallowing, she stared down at his sleeping form, peaceful now as he had settled down with the pillow pressed to the side of his face, one arm clutching it protectively to him. Her arm moved, and her fingers splayed across his upper back; she didn't know why, but she'd always had a thing for the lines of his broad, strong back. Maybe it was because it was something she could look at undisturbed; look at without him noticing.

Whenever he'd been chopping vegetables in the kitchen at her apartment, she'd loved to watch the muscles of his back shifting around with the movements as she stirred the pots for dinner or went to get a new ingredient from the fridge, though she hadn't really been too conscious about it at the time.

Now she let her hand travel up and down his back in a soothing, exploring way, and she smiled softly as she heard him sigh in his sleep. Tangling her fingers into his thick hair— gods, it was too soft, how could it be like that— she leaned down as if in a dream, closer and closer to his face, her lips puckering up—

Abruptly, she let go of his hair, her heart thudding as she backed away from her bed, feeling rude and ashamed.

_What the hell do you __think this is? Princess Charming and Sleeping Beauty?_ She scolded herself, pulling at her own hair as if to punish herself.

_Leaving now. Leaving!_ She thought frantically, sprinting out of her room and slamming the door closed behind her, not caring if she woke up Ryoga, her father _and_ the next door neighbours. She felt that almost doing something like that kind of warranted making a racket.

* * *

Breakfast was a very uncomfortable affair that morning.

Ryoga didn't actually speak, yet Ukyo was suddenly aware of the raw potential of the silent words electrifying the air between them, straining with a kind of quiet desperation to wrap themselves around the powerful presence of some intense, yet elusive, wavering emotions.

She had the feeling, in fact, that he knew something about her that he wanted to discuss but didn't dare to discuss, much in the same way that she simply couldn't bring up what she'd seen that morning.

What was she supposed to _say_, anyway? '_Hey, by the way, Ryoga…do you have a habit of talking in your sleep that you know of? And did I by any chance feature in your dreams this morning?'_

_What does she know about me that makes her act that way_ Ryoga wondered anxiously as he watched her from across the table. The atmosphere was just so…strange, heavy and floaty at the same time, both uncomfortable and confusing. He wondered what it would have been like if Mr. Kuonji hadn't been there to create some kind of buffer zone between the two of them.

As it was, Ukyo's father was calmly eating his breakfast with every sign of enjoyment as he chatted merrily, seemingly unaware of the tension in the room. Or if he _was_ aware of it, he was really doing a good job of faking ignorance.

When Ryoga and her father finally left to get Ryoga to his work place, Ukyo felt as if the room had been a pot full of boiling water that someone had lifted the lid off of at the very last second, just as it was about to boil over.

* * *

Much later in the day, when her father returned after dropping Ryoga off and after going on a bunch of errands, he was carrying something in his arms as he came into the garden, where she was reading her book. On closer inspection, it turned out to be a postal package.

And by the look on her father's face, the goofy, secretive grin, it was for her. "Grandma sent you a package." His father told her as he sat down beside her, confirming her suspicions. "I picked it up at the post today."

"Uh huh." Ukyo raised her eyebrows. "And what's this? It's not my birthday."

Masahiro shrugged. "Open it and see."

Ukyo smiled briefly, indulging him as she started opening the parcel. When she was done, she was simply staring at its contents in disbelief, but her father looked about as excited as a puppy, grinning at her expectantly.

"So? Do you like it?"

"It's a dress." Ukyo said flatly.

"Yes," Masahiro kept on grinning. "Do you like it?"

Ukyo sighed. "It's not that it's not very nice and all, dad, but aren't I old enough to dress myself now?"

Her father's face fell slightly. "But...but what's wrong with it?"

"I don't do dresses, dad."

"But you wore a yukata just now."

"That was different, that was just...an exception." Ukyo waved a hand vaguely, trying to explain it.

"But don't you like it?" Her father insisted.

Ukyo stared down at the dress; it was a simple sundress, dark blue with a softly-coloured bamboo leaf pattern, and yes, it was nice, but— "Is this some kind of conspiracy between you and Grandma?" She asked dryly, looking at him closely.

Masahiro laughed. "It's just a gift."

Ukyo stared pointedly at him.

"Look, Ukyo, Grandma probably has her reasons, whatever they are." He shrugged. "I had nothing to do with it."

"I just wish you people would stop hinting at me, trying to tell me what to do." Ukyo glared at him. "I don't have to wear a dress to be a girl."

Her father frowned, then, and Ukyo was suddenly afraid that she'd been too harsh, had been reading too much into the dress. "Nobody said that, Ukyo. It's just a gift."

Ukyo sighed in resignation before picking up the dress and getting up to go to her room. She supposed she could just try it on. Nothing wrong with that.

Something was going to give somewhere soon, Ukyo thought as she put on a dress for the first time since kindergarten, and met her own eyes in the mirror. She looked so anxious, so small, the dark pupils of her eyes in the mirror appearing to her as bottomless wells, trying to suck her in, as if she was trying to hypnotize herself into doing something she was afraid to do, scaring herself and encouraging herself at the same time.

It really was. Something was going to happen.

The tension caused by unspoken things and unperformed actions was now as thick as an overstuffed Hiroshimayaki between her and Ryoga.

Something was going to happen. Maybe even today.

Her father had to go see their neighbour about something, he'd said, so at breakfast everyone had agreed that Ukyo would be the one to pick up Ryoga from work that day.

Ukyo swallowed loudly as she walked out to the car.

She had decided to keep the dress on.

**TBC.**

* * *

**  
Author's note:** Today, it's almost exactly three months since I last updated _Omiyage_. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. I hereby dub it _The Chapter of Extreme UST_.

I had to split chapter eight into two separate chapters because it was going to be between thirty-five to forty pages or something, so...yeah. The next chapter is almost done, so it won't be long this time. Not three months, anyway— hell, not even a week, if I'm lucky.

Good grief, would you believe I wrote a lot of this crap back in 2005? Yes, that's how long chapter eight (now chapters eight _and_ nine) has been festering. First in my imagination, then in a shabby note book, and then on my computer. For almost _two freakin' years_. Gah. I hate it. And I first began working on this story back in late 2003, too. I kind of just want to print this story out, tear it to pieces with my teeth, light it on fire, scoop up the ashes into a box and put the box on the next rocket to the moon.

**Stay tuned for chapter nine, kids! ;**

A super-mega-gigantic THANKS to YBP for inspiring me to continue writing this horribly time-consuming story. Go check out her SUPERB Omiyage!Ryoga/Ukyo fan art at deviantART. You can also find a link to it on my homepage.

_Her__father, like all parents everywhere, simply assumed that since they'd been kids at school together, her and Kenichi had been friends. _This was more or less stolen from Terry Pratchett's _The Truth._ You should read it. It's good. A lot of people on here probably have already.

I know it might seem a bit weird for Ukyo to be able to if not master but at least get the Moko Takabisha to work a little, but you'll have to remember that the regular version of it was a pretty damn straight forward technique. I mean, it only had two steps, for goodness sake.

Think of something positive, then let loose your positive ki. End of story. Ranma made up and learned the Moko Takabisha practically over night, and Ryoga learned the Shi Shi Hokodan in about five seconds.

I was originally planning to write about seven chapters for this story, but now it looks like it's gonna be more like eleven or twelve…sigh. Really, I'm not kidding. There will be that many chapters. Chibi Taryn Demon asked in the reviews if I'd already written the later chapters or now the outline of them, and the thing is that I've written _parts_ of chapters ten and eleven already and kinda know the outline of the further plot in my head.

Again, I have to say I really enjoy writing Ukyo's father. He's been a bit of catalyst for making the Osaka chapters work for me. It's been easier writing it with him around, for some reason; probably because it's given Ryoga and Ukyo somebody else than just each other to play off of. Also, it's given me the chance to let Ryoga/Ukyo be kids for a bit. Go, Masahiro, go! Okonomiyaki power!

A HUGE thank you goes out to Stringofpearls, who left a review that said _'I also like the bits with Ranma and Akane, though I'll admit, I'm always anxious for those to end so we can get back to Ukyo and Ryoga'_, which made me laugh so hard!

I've been so sick of skimming through long, epic fics about the entire cast and crew of Ranma ½ just to 'get to the good parts', i.e. the parts with Ryoga and Ukyo. In _my_ fics, though, the only skimming you'll have to do is if you want to read about Ranma and Akane, hahahah! It's ninety per cent Ryoga/Ukyo, baby!

The whole point of writing this fic, besides contributing to the severe lack of Ryoga/Ukyo-centric fics, has been to attempt to write the sort of Ryoga/Ukyo fic I've personally always longed to read; long and focusing almost _only_ on them. I've always wanted to read a fic full of the private conversations I'd imagine them to have if they only gave each other the time of day and became friends. I know they're not canon, but I've always felt they would really be able to relate to each other.

Where's Ranma and Akane now, you ask? They won't show up again until chapter ten, to be honest.


	9. Osaka IV

**Omiyage: Osaka IV**  
By Ninnik Nishukan

* * *

**Author's note:** Warning for rude language said by construction workers.

* * *

Things had been pretty calm at the construction site that day— well, things were never calm at a construction site during work hours, but Kenichi and his friends had been behaving, except for the occasional snicker and pointed finger when they thought he wasn't looking. Now, though, just as everybody was getting off work, they came sauntering over to him, advertising trouble. 

"Is the okonomiyaki transv— I mean, is Ukyo coming to pick you up today?"

Ryoga peered critically at Kenichi. "Yeah, she is." He said eventually.

Kenichi grinned and elbowed his friend playfully. "Maybe I'll say hello to her, for old times' sake."

"Right," Ryoga said slowly, wondering if he could be fired if Ukyo beat up these guys when she arrived; she didn't work here, but if management found out she was his friend, was there any way they would have grounds to let him go?

Ukyo was just coming around the corner, walking into the construction site when she saw the small group of men surrounding Ryoga, caught his annoyed, discomfited stance and then when she heard the voice speak up—

_Maybe it would be worth it,__ anyway,_ Ryoga thought to himself as one of Kenichi's friends leered at him. "Hey, Hibiki, is it true that your friend's a dyke?"

Ukyo felt all the white hot anger and embarrassment caused by the comment leave her like steam from a kettle until her teeth ground together with grim determination. She wasn't wearing any boys' clothing, any breast bindings or shoes that were too big for her, she didn't reek of cabbage and she had removed herself from the bitter little lump of past that had shoved her down that hurtful road to begin with.

_Okay, that's it,_ Ryoga sighed heavily as he tossed his helmet onto the work table. He didn't like fighting those weaker than him, but fired or not, these guys were going to at least get a punch in the mouth for opening it and letting such offensive things spew out.

She'd show them all what a woman she really was, Ukyo thought, she'd shut Kenichi and his friends' mouths for good; the gossiping little twerps wouldn't even know what hit them. In a swish of skirts, she sailed towards them, bearing down on Ryoga.

"A girl dressing like that has to be the type to go for a little girl on girl action, am I right?" The friend went on, quite effectively writing his own obituary. _He died of acute stupidity,_ Ryoga thought as he cricked his neck, getting ready to throw a punch. Theyoung man snickered, oblivious. "Too ugly to get a man, so she'll just have to settle for—"

"Hi, honey!"

Everybody turned their heads, disoriented at the sound of the bright, feminine cry, as a pretty young woman came running towards Hibiki, her dress and her ponytail flowing behind her. They couldn't fail to notice certain parts of her anatomy bouncing fetchingly, either.

Ukyo threw her arms wide open and embraced Ryoga, capturing his lips in a "hello, there" kind of kiss. She let one hand slide down to his hip while the other one rested against on the back of his neck, pulling him closer, her lips attacking his wetly.

Immediately, Ukyo felt his frame go rigid with the unexpected assault and she experienced a brief shot of guilt for putting him in this kind of position. There was a sharp, fast moment of panic as she contemplated how this would affect their friendship and whether he would pass out with a spurt of nasal blood and embarrass them both further.With a small gasp, she withdrew herself from Ryoga, breathing soundlessly once or twice before grabbing his hand to lead him out of the construction site.

She summoned up a falsely cheery smile and chirped at the astounded men: "Oh hi, Kenichi— didn't see you there!"

As she dragged Ryoga out of there, she listened to the results of her little performance.

"Who was that?"

"That…that was Kuonji Ukyo…" Kenichi sounded absolutely gobsmacked.

"No way!"

"Sure didn't look like a man to me!"

"Sorry, Hibiki, we didn't know she was your girlfriend! Sorry!" Someone called desperately after Ryoga.

Laughter of elation giving her winged feet even when they were well out of earshot, Ukyo all but skipped along. "We sure showed _them_, didn't we?" She said triumphantly, not really expecting an answer in all her preoccupied joy.

She didn't even notice Ryoga's hand shaking in hers before they'd almost reached the parking lot where she'd left the car.

"Ukyo…?" She heard him call for her tentatively, almost hoarsely; "U-Ukyo…can we just…_stop_?" He swallowed, squeezing her hand pleadingly. "J-just for a minute?"

And then the world, which had seemed obliviously trouble-free or at least in denial for about five seconds, completely skidded to a halt.

Ukyo turned to him, just as wide-eyed as he. Ryoga didn't look like he thought this had all been in good fun, and why should he, when she herself was now that very moment realizing the repercussions of what she'd done?

She'd just given Ryoga his very first, proper kiss, and by extension, he'd given her hers. This was not a fact which they could pass idly by.

Ukyo's head swam and her heart ached at the uncertain, frightened look on his face.

Ryoga exhaled tremulously. "D-did you…did you just do what you did because you just wanted to make those guys…?" His voice died in his throat.

The expression in his eyes begged her to tell him something different than what he suspected, and her shoulders sagged with the guilt. Sometimes she could be so very, very stupid in her own little ways.

"Ryoga…" She protested meekly, noticing that he'd let go of her hand at some point.

Ryoga bit his lip, staring down at the pavement as he struggled to hold in the tears that just kept pushing and pushing inside, demanding to be released, stinging his eyes ferociously. So this was how it was to be, huh? Every time he started thinking a girl might like him, reality saw fit to hammer some sense into his skull. No, scratch that, every time he saw a chance at _happiness_—

The kiss— a _kiss_ from _Ukyo_— had been some of the happiest couple of seconds in his entire life, pure bliss filling up his bones, warming his body from the inside out. But that was just it— it _had _only been for a couple of seconds. Then confusion...then uncertainty and then sharp, relentless depression. She'd only done it to prove something to herself, to make those bullies shut up, she hadn't done it because she actually—

Letting out a shuddering sigh, Ryoga unclenched his fists, glancing at her. "You know…" he started shakily. "It would be so nice if just once I—" He paused, clenching his fists again. "I…I guess I just hoped that…" Shaking his head self-deprecatingly, he padded over to but stop bench to sit down.

Ukyo followed him helplessly, wringing her hands. "Ryoga…" She trailed off apologetically as she walked up to him, hovering beside the bench, not quite daring to sit down. "I'm so sorry for—"

Ryoga held up a hand, silencing her. "Can I just ask you one thing?" He said, his voice thick with emotion.

Ukyo stared at him, quickly nodding. "Anything, Ryoga."

Ryoga swallowed audibly before speaking. "Did it…was I…did you think it was good?" It obviously took him a lot of courage to ask the question.

Ukyo's eyes widened a bit further, her face flushing hotly. "I…um…I dunno, it happened so fast, I couldn't…um…" She murmured waveringly.

Misinterpreting her inability to give him a straight answer, Ryoga closed his eyes, nodding grimly. "I see."

Confused, Ukyo frowned deeply before actually realizing what he was on about. He thought she thought he'd been bad at it, that it'd been an awful experience for her, which was an especially hard blow to a first-time kisser. "I am such a stupid, stupid…" Ukyo muttered to herself, suddenly wanting very badly to be able to kick her own behind.

Her eyes softening, she went and joined Ryoga on the bench. He wouldn't look at her. She noticed he was shaking again, his fingers twitching, his eyes halfway hidden under his thick bangs. Touching his arm gently, she leaned towards him. "Ryoga…?" She squeezed his arm lightly to get his attention.

Finally he turned. She could see moisture in his eyes, but he wasn't crying. Not yet.

"Ryoga…" She began, looking into the warm brown of his eyes, her stomach tying itself in knots as she saw the hurt there. What she was about to say would be very daring, but it would be true, and she needed to finally make him understand. She couldn't just ask him to let her postpone her explanation again, like he'd let her do about her crying. "It…it _was_ good, Ryoga." She said softly. "I just wish it'd been longer."

The pain fled Ryoga's eyes as they went wide with surprise. A soundless exclamation escaped him. There was a cracking sound as he, and seemingly without realizing it, reached out and broke the armrest of the bench between his fingers. Ukyo shivered a little at the intensity of his emotions.

"U-Ukyo…" He breathed, eyes full of awe and red tinting his cheeks as he absently poked little holes in the bench with his index finger. "Really?"

"_Yes_," she whispered fervently. Leaning into him, Ukyo took a deep breath, fighting for courage, before she caught his face in her hands and pressed her lips softly against his. She began to worry a bit when all she got in return was a kind of numb, frozen partner, and she was about to pull back—

Ukyo's eyes fluttered open in surprise when Ryoga's hitherto slack mouth pressed against hers, tryingly, then firmly before parting her lips gently with his. It was slightly clumsy— a couple of times she could feel the tips of his fangs prickling her, but they quickly managed to work around the problem— and she could tell he was inexperienced, but so was she, not knowing quite where to put her hands or how to breathe properly while kissing, and the fact was that simply allowing herself to realize exactly _who_ she was kissing was enough to blow her mind.

Ukyo found herself whimpering with the contact, surprised to realize how _much_ she'd in fact wanted this.

A low moan escaped Ukyo as she closed her eyes and leaned further into him. Her hand strayed from his hip and travelled up to his arm, clutching it, a hot flush blasting up her spine at the feel of the rigid muscles combined with all the sensations he was causing in her with his mouth.

Ryoga almost felt like he was running on auto pilot. He was astonished that he was even _doing_ this, that he wasn't fainting or fumbling, that he was actually able to do this in what seemed to be an acceptable way, even though he'd never done it before.

Despite the fact that they were both a bit uncertain as to how to do this, they managed to work it out eventually, and he was glad that she was as inexperienced as him, because that took the edge off of the performance anxiety for him. The soft, needy noises she was making were like pure beauty pouring into his mind through his ears, because they told him beyond a shadow of a doubt, even more so than the words she'd confessed to him, that she liked this, that she wanted this, that she was not only accepting his lips, but very happily so.

His hands rested by his sides, his fingers twitching with need, but he didn't know what to do with them and didn't want to spoil the moment, and to be honest, his mind was already having a hard time even controlling his lips, as joy and pleasure assaulted his senses.

When they pulled apart, Ukyo felt that this had to be what it might feel to get drunk, as the world seemed slightly hazy and too nice and her head was spinning just a little. She exhaled heavily, leaning against his chest. When she felt she'd managed to calm down a little, she leaned back so she could look at his face.

He looked like what she would imagine the sole survivor from a nasty accident would look like as he crawled out of the wreckage, taking deep lungfuls of air and realizing, in a burst of manic joy, that he was still alive. He looked scared, like he had no idea what to do, yet somehow immensely happy to find himself where he was. Ukyo imagined she had to look a lot the same way. Smiling dizzily, she reached out and brushed a few stray strands of hair from his face.

"U-Ukyo…" There seemed to be some kind of question in that shivering puff of breath, some kind of question in his eyes, huge and filling up her vision with their shiny blacks, whites and browns.

He wanted to know how she felt. There were so many things she could tell him, but she wasn't quite ready yet; she'd only barely figured out that she loved him yesterday, and she was still overwhelmed by it.

She knew she would need some time to sort those emotions out before telling him. Ukyo decided to start out small. "Ryoga, um…the thing is…I really like you and I'm…I've wanted to kiss you like this for a while." She licked her lips, her face reddening. "I'm really attracted to you."

Ryoga sucked in a shocked, yet excited breath. "Wh-what?"

"Yeah," She didn't bother repeating herself, because she _knew_ he'd heard her. "I am."

His mind exploded at her concession, the pure exhilaration making his head fuzzy, coloured spots appearing in front of his eyes. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, soaking up this completely new kind of reality he had to relate to now; she thought he was— she wanted to— she said…!

And she was waiting for a response.

"Ukyo," He began intently, meeting her gaze, his expression fevered, his lips trembling; the only time she'd ever seen him look anything like this was in the midst of battle, letting his emotions take him over completely. "You…I'm…me too!" He finally settled on.

There was a faint smile on her lips. "So I guess…I guess you won't mind it if I kiss you again?"

Why was she even _asking_? Leaning forward, he pushed his face into hers, meeting her lips. He heard Ukyo swallow a gasp as he kissed her insistently, his wet lips pushing hers open.

In the back of her mind, there was a voice that told her that this was beginning to get a bit intimate for a public display, but it was quickly quieted as his tongue entered her mouth, hungrily probing. Suddenly he seemed a whole lot more aggressive.

Ryoga's chest burned with trying to contain his emotions, his head feeling hot and his brain far too busy. She felt too wonderful, her warm, slender fingers skating across his skin through his T-shirt, her sweet, wet, hot tongue willingly tangling with his and tasting like tea and spices and happiness and eagerness and pure affection and everything that was good and right in the world.

Oh gods, Ukyo thought, the warmness of him, the softness and salty wetness of his lips and tongue, the strength of his embrace—

_...embrace? _

It was when he clutched her to himself that it dawned on Ukyo that he hadn't in fact touched her so far, except with his lips and tongue. So far it had only been her that had embraced him.

Casting that thought away, she sucked his lower lip into her mouth and nibbled on it a little, listening to his breathing going harsh and his grip tightening—

—felt her chest constrict, her ribs creaking ominously—

Actually—

"R-Ryoga!" She forced her head back, wheezing. "Y-you're…h-hurting…LET GO!" She screamed, terrified for an instant as everything suddenly seemed to spin out of control out of nowhere.

Ryoga let go of her as soon as he heard the cry, scrambling backwards on the bench in a flash, his eyes wide and deathly afraid as he stared at her from the other side of the bench, shocked beyond reason.

He hadn't expected that. That hadn't happened since—

He'd almost been able to repress the incident with Akane that one time, when he'd been so close to giving her a hug so strong it could crush large wooden poles, but now the memory bubbled up to the surface again like scum, a dark and sharp and painful presence in his mind.

He hadn't thought he would ever do it again.

He had _hoped_ he wouldn't.

He'd thought he would be fine— after all, he'd hugged Ukyo before without losing it— but the problem was that always before, there had been some semblance of control, some amount of restraint in him whenever she acted in a way that might give him some hope that she felt something for him, or in a way that made it seem as if something might happen.

Their friendship had worked as some sort of mental blockade for him, not only making him more comfortable and relaxed around her than other girls, but also unconsciously making him refuse to believe that her affection towards him was sexual in any way.

Holding his hand? Nothing but a sign of friendship and support.

Hugging him? Nothing but a sign of having missed an absent friend.

Kissing his cheek? Nothing but an attempt to build his confidence for the Moko Takabisha.

Even the intimate hug in the bathroom could only have happened because she was simply upset that he might be leaving. There was no other reason. Right?

There was always the risk of heartbreak as a cause of misinterpretation, so he never dared to really assume anything.

But now, when she'd purposely hauled off and kissed him right on the lips and then did it _again_, so he couldn't rationalize it as some sort of fluke, all his self-restraint had snapped like an old rubber band.

Even the most timid heart, even the most insecure person couldn't explain_ that_ away.

For him, such an intimate kiss on the lips could only mean affirmation of sexual attraction and maybe even love. But worse than the physical contact had been the words she'd told him, words that unleashed something in him as she confessed her feelings for him, her interest in him as more than just a friend— those words had broken the chains of fear and shyness wrapped around his heart, and he'd just been overwhelmed with emotions, suddenly excited and aggressive.

Nosebleeds and fainting were nothing; those could also simply be reactions to girls in general. The much worse reactions would only come when he thought his affections towards a particular girl were being requited, and especially if she showed it physically, because such a thing simply blew his mind.

And he understood, now, that losing control was something you simply could not do if you were Hibiki Ryoga. If Ranma hadn't been there that day when Akane had hugged him under the influence of Shampoo's Amazon tricks and he'd gotten it into his head to show her the same kind of affection, what would have happened? Would he have almost have broken _her_ ribs as well? _Would_ he have broken her ribs?

He'd always thought, later, that he'd been so out of bounds that day because he'd been so desperate to end his extreme loneliness, but he hadn't been lonely lately, so why did this happen to him…?

As she looked at her shocked expression, at her arm nursing her ribs, he felt completely sick with fear and guilt, his stomach churning and his heart pinching in his chest, panic rising in him like the inevitable tide.

And he'd promised her father the very day before that he'd never hurt his daughter, too! He'd _promised_!

So he did the only thing he could do, and ran away.

* * *

Ukyo's mind drew a blank as he watched him leave, as if the world was suddenly moving in slow motion, but abruptly, everything snapped back into fast, hard reality, and she scrambled off of the bench and to her feet, taking off after him at a run. 

"Stop, you jerk!" She screamed, accelerating so that she was now sprinting after him. _Good grief, what a day to wear a dress and sandals on!_ Snapping up a discarded tricycle that some kid must've left there, she aimed as she ran, hurling it straight at his head. "STOP!"

It didn't faze him the least.

"RYOGA!" She bellowed, picking up yet more speed. Growling low in her throat in frustration, she finally gained on him, and with a savage cry, she tackled him, knocking him to the ground. She wasn't that heavy, but the running gave her momentum, she was angry enough to put some real quality muscle behind the attack, and she obviously had the element of surprise on her side; Ryoga went down like a sack of flour.

"Where the _hell_ do you think you're _going_?" She demanded, twisting his arm behind his back as if she was a police officer in the process of apprehending a dangerous criminal or something. Driving her knee into his lower back, she forced him to quit struggling. When he finally settled down— she could tell that the struggling had been quite half-hearted in any case— she released him and flipped him over, pulling him to his feet by his arm.

Her breath went sketchy when she saw his face, streaked with dust and tears, his expression radiating guilt and pain.

Ryoga stared up at her, saw her crooked sundress, saw her ponytail hanging lopsidedly, half undone from its bow, saw her angry, yet pleading eyes and her face, red with desperate exertion.

"Where are you going?" She repeated, her voice curiously low and steady. "You said you wouldn't leave at the first sign of trouble. You _promised_."

His breath hitched wetly in his chest, his voice broken and thick. "I...I _am_ the trouble, Ukyo! I need to go...I have to go..."

"No." She said firmly, sounding cool and composed, yet Ryoga could see tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "No. You don't have to do anything except come home with me so we can talk about this."

"B-but...Ukyo..." He objected feebly, his heart twisting painfully; he'd made her cry. He'd hurt her, and he'd made her cry. It was _not_ okay, he could _not_ just go home with her after something like that—

"Don't. Not now." She shook her head, and a tear dropped from her eye, splashing his cheek. It cut him to the core, and suddenly he could do nothing but obey her after all. If this was what she wanted, he'd do it for her, no matter how much self-loathing was churning in his stomach right then, blackening his mind. Ukyo wanted him to follow her, so he did.

Nodding, he looked up at her solemnly, agreeing to her request.

They wordlessly dusted off and straightened out their clothes, Ukyo tightening her dissolving ponytail again.

There was silence as he followed her to the car, and neither said anything when she started up the engine and pulled out on the road.

After about five minutes, however, he had the urge to speak despite everything.

"Why are you wearing a dress?" He asked faintly, sounding like he'd only just discovered the fact.

"I wanted to look nice for you." Ukyo replied quietly, and that seemed to end all conversation for the rest of the drive. For the moment, her reply told him everything he needed to know.

* * *

When they arrived at her father's house, he wasn't there. Wherever he was, out grocery shopping or visiting their neighbour, he wasn't there, and Ukyo felt relieved. She'd have hated to have to answer any difficult questions, such as why her dress was dirty, why it looked like she'd been crying again or why both she and Ryoga looked completely emotionally exhausted and rattled. 

Her father would have only jumped to the wrong kind of conclusions, she knew.

Ryoga looked at Ukyo's back as she toed off her sandals in the genkan. Her ponytail was still a little ruffled, and there was a stain of road dust on the side of her pretty dress.

What were they supposed to do now? He wondered as he stepped out of his shoes, his breath turning shallow as he began getting nervous. She seemed so determined to not let him leave, but for how long would that last? How long would it take for her to realize what a harmful freak he was? How long would it take her to decide that what she wanted out of a guy wasn't someone who might crush her ribs whenever they hugged?

Dark, heavy self-hatred rolled in his mind as he followed her into the living room with dragging steps. By agreeing to come with her, he was only setting himself up for heart ache, he knew that, because she would never want—

He wasn't paying attention, his gaze trained on the floor, and suddenly he almost bumped into Ukyo, who'd stopped in front of the tea table and was looking at him with an indecipherable expression on her face.

"Ukyo...?" He asked warily, trying to take a step back from their close proximity, but she stopped him by gently encircling his wrist with her hand.

"Ryoga, I..." Her voice was trembling, and so was the hand that she raised to cup his face, he realized. "I think we could work this out..." She murmured, her face approaching his.

"N-no..." He objected, but his voice was so small it didn't sound like a real protest at all, and as she placed her lips over his in a tender, vulnerable kind of lingering kiss, nothing like the passionate kisses they'd shared before, her fingers curling tightly into the front of his shirt, his heart shivered as he became aware that she was as shaken as him by what had happened, and was trying to be careful. Somehow, she still wanted him, but she was also just a little apprehensive, and he would have to do his best to keep his hands away from her.

If it were up to him, they wouldn't be kissing at all, and he'd be running away to let her lead a happier, less painful life than she would with him, but now that they were, he couldn't bring himself to end it, both because she would be hurt again if he broke it off, but also because it felt so good...

As Ukyo briefly parted their lips so they could breathe, she halted abruptly on her way to rejoin their lips when she caught sight of what he was doing.

Ryoga was holding his arms out like some kid pretending to be an airplane. If it hadn't been for the tense, terrified look on his face, Ukyo might've been inclined to find the whole thing funny.

"What are you doing?" She asked softly.

"I'm…tr-trying not to touch you…!" Ryoga said between gritted teeth.

"…what?" There was a drop in Ukyo's stomach. He didn't _want_ to touch her?

"I couldn't…if I was…I don't want to hurt you again!" Ryoga backtracked at the hurt expression on her face; she'd obviously misinterpreted his words. Gods, was there no end to how he would wound her today?

Ukyo paused, frowning a little before she sighed softly; how was she supposed to help him get over that? "It's nothing, you just bruised me a little," she said, trying to appease him, "I'm a martial artist, I've had much, much worse. I'm perfectly fine."

"I _'just bruised'_ you?" Ryoga choked on a sob, trembling; how could she even be forgiving him after what he'd done? "U-Ukyo…you don't understand! That's not '_just'_! We were _kissing_, not _fighting_! I'm not supposed to have hurt you _at all_! I'm _horrible_! I'm a stupid, out-of-control _monster_!"

Ukyo let out a worried, exasperated breath. "Ryoga, I really think you're overreacting—"

"I'm _not_! Do you know how this _feels_ for me? I've _hurt_ you! What if I do it again?" Tears were flowing freely down his face now, and she winced as she looked at him. It was a terrible thing to see another person in such a state of sorrow, especially when it was somebody you cared about. "I'm too afraid to even _shake your hand_ now! Do you _understand_?"

"Ryoga…" She appealed, trying to meet his gaze.

"What if I do it again?" He repeated silently, voice lowering; it was obvious that he was far from calm, though. "Will you still be attracted to me?" He asked with bitter sarcasm, sounding exhausted.

"Ryoga, please," she begged, her breath hitching in her chest when he flinched away as she went to touch his arm. "Why don't we just try to relax a little and then try it again? I'm sure we can find some way to do this, can't we?" She'd longed to kiss him, but when the moment finally came— this was just too much! There _had_ to be a way! "Please," she went on. "I really want to kiss you again," she told him, hoping such an open admission would make him feel better again. "And I really want you to feel like it's okay to kiss me, too."

Giving her a long, uncertain look, he suddenly buried his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking.

Her gaze softening with sympathy, she went to stroke his back soothingly, but then his head shot up abruptly, his fists shaking. "Fuck!" He bellowed, his voice raw with pain. "This is so fucking UNFAIR!"

She'd never heard him swear like that before, and realized he had to be a lot more upset than she'd thought. What with his mercurial moods, it was sometimes hard to tell the difference between him just being melodramatic and when he was in real pain.

"Ryoga," she said in a low voice, watching him pant with the emotional strain. "If you do a Shi Shi Hokodan in my father's house, I'm gonna be _really_ mad." And her father would be right in what he'd warned her about, which she would never be able to recover from. Neither would her father's opinions of Ryoga.

His shoulders sagged a little as he seemed to notice the dark aura gathering up around him. As he attempted to even out his breathing and calm himself down, the aura gradually vanished, like ceiling lights being dimmed. "Sorry…I'm really very, very sorry…" He told her in a dead voice.

Shaking her head, she moved closer to him, slowly sliding her arms around him and resting her forehead against his jaw line, which was working furiously as he tried to control himself. "Just…relax, all right? It's just me, okay? Just…don't tense up…and it's not so bad…is it?"

"No, it's not bad…" He told her in a strained voice. "It's v-very good, I'm just afraid that I'll—"

"Shhh," She whispered, motioning him to sit down with her on the couch, leaning against his side, holding his arm and putting her head on his shoulder.

After a while, she heard him sigh softly. "I just…I really don't see why you even bother with me…"

"Yeah, well," Ukyo said lightly, "I _do_ see why, so just…_shhh_, okay?"

"O-okay," He relented, gently lowering his head on top of hers on his shoulder, exhaling at the feel of her warm temple and her soft hair against his face.

Humming a little in the back of her throat, Ukyo placed the fingertips of one hand on the center of his chest, lightly rubbing in circles. When this didn't seem to upset him noteworthy, she leaned closer and placed a tiny kiss on his neck, right below his ear. This coaxed a small groan out of him, and his head lolled backwards, resting on the back of the couch. He closed his eyes.

Encouraged by this, she leaned closer to him, trailing a path of light kisses upwards until she reached his lips. Before she could kiss him there, though, she met with his eyes, now open and looking a little fearful.

"Ryoga…?"

"Hhh…" He made this odd, breathy noise before dipping his head down, pressing his mouth to hers. Elated that he was taking the initiative since it proved that it wasn't just her that wanted this, she let go of an appreciative sound and pushed herself against his chest, her breasts squishing against him, and kissed him back with joy, her mouth falling open and the kiss turning warm and wet.

A protesting, little sound escaped him then before he dragged himself from her embrace, panting heavily when he leaned back.

"Ryoga, what's...?" She swallowed, stumped by the course of events. What did he want?

"I…I can't…I can't control myself," He gasped, and her gaze dropped to his hand, clenched so tightly that his knuckles where white, and saw that he had punched right through one of the throw pillows on the couch. "We h-have to stop."

Ukyo was starting to feel exasperated. "But…but it's just a kiss!" She objected. "It's not like we're…I mean, we're not, you know…having sex or anything,"

Colour rose to his face. "N-no…but you're…you were leaning…and your b-breasts…against me…and your hand…"

Following his gaze downwards, she was stunned to see that she was resting her hand quite far up his thigh, and she quickly snatched it away. "S-sorry!"

"It's okay…" His voice trailed off, his face only darkening further in colour.

"I just don't _understand_ this," Ukyo sighed, slumping back into the couch. "I mean, we're both single and I want to kiss you and you want to kiss me and that should be _it, _right? There shouldn't _be_ any complications now!" She nearly wailed.

Ryoga looked down at his dangerous hands, hating them. "S-sorry…"

Ukyo let out a heavy breath. "I still think we should be able to kiss without any bodily harm being involved," She began hopefully.

Ryoga cringed. "I can't…I couldn't…if you were hurt and it was my fault…"

Shaking her head, Ukyo picked up the punctured throw pillow, staring fixedly at it. "It just doesn't make any sense," she muttered. "Why is this happening to you?"

Bowing his head in shame, he wouldn't meet her eyes, staring instead at her knee when he finally answered, the explanation coming out tryingly, in fragments. "I don't know…it's just…this is all very overwhelming for me…I've always dreamed of…I mean, I've always wanted something like this, s-someone like you, and now…" He swallowed.

"I know I've always been too emotional…and too physically strong, which isn't a very good combination…but I didn't think it w-was_ this_ bad…!" Drawing a hand through his thick hair, he pulled out his bandanna and looked at it where it lay in his hand. "I think…I think I've been alone for too long…so I always react so oddly…to everything…I feel everything too intensely, and I feel like I'm always too involved, too desperate…I'm— I'm just not good at distancing myself from things…" He glanced up at her, his eyes looking too bright. "…especially when it comes to you."

"I don't mind that," Ukyo told him in a small voice.

His breath hitched when he looked at her and saw the unwavering acceptance in her eyes, his bandanna dropping from his hand to the floor. "D-don't you see how…how hard this is for me? It's so hard for me to— to even get over the fact that you seem to accept me so— so _easily_ like that! Because I can't understand it! Can't you see how screwed up I am?" He asked. "It was okay when we were just friends, but now you're saying you're— that you want to— I mean, I admit I had some delusions that we could be together like that, and I was so excited when we— but, but now I see that I can't even kiss you without hurting you or— or the furniture! It'll never work! I'll ruin your life!"

Something in her snapped. "Ruin my— okay, you know what? I've had enough of this!" She declared, grabbing his shirt and shaking him a little. "Can you just _stop_? Are you even _listening_ to yourself? I know you're insecure, but Ryoga…if you haven't already forgotten, we've already lived together for more than a month! And that _worked_, didn't it? Don't you remember that whole speech I made to you about how nice it was to have you around? How I felt like I wasn't lonely anymore? Because I_ certainly_ don't remember mentioning anything about you ruining my life! Do _you_?"

"N-no, but…that was then." He said evasively. "Now it's just…more complicated."

Ukyo looked at him closely. "Maybe so, but it's also better! It's gonna_ be_ better! Can't you just _try_?"

Ryoga ground his teeth in frustration. "Ukyo, I'm _not_ stupid! I mean, I _know_ I'm not exactly the most confident of people, but I'm not— I'm not a masochist! Do you really think I'd say no to you for no other reason than to make myself miserable?" He asked her intensely, trying to make her understand.

"Do you really think I'd see you, offering me— do you think I'd reject you just because I was being a self-pitying moron? Do you really think I can't see what's right in front of me? It's got nothing to do with that! I can't be with you because I'm _hurting_ you! I can't let you be with a guy that'll— who's gonna end up sending you to the_ hospital_ just because you wanted a hug!" He wailed. "Nobody deserves that, least of all you!"

"Why don't you let _me_ decide that!" Ukyo snapped.

Ryoga's voice went softer, then, trembling with regret. "I almost hurt Akane like this, one time, because Shampoo had made it look like she liked me. Everything turned out okay because Ranma was there, but Akane said that...that she felt _sorry_ for whoever ended up being my girlfriend...and I can't let that be you. Do you _understand_?"

"You _promised_ you wouldn't leave!" She reminded him fiercely.

"I also promised your father I'd _never hurt__you_!" He announced emphatically.

After receiving that interesting bit of news, she stared at him for a moment before speaking again. "Don't you see that it would hurt me a whole lot more if you left me than what a couple of broken ribs would?" She asked him, her voice quiet.

He closed his eyes briefly, as if in pain. "Don't _say_ that..."

"Look, we can make this work, okay?" She pressed.

He just shook his head slowly. "I c-can't...I care about you too much to do that to you."

"I can take it." She insisted, squeezing his arm reassuringly.

It didn't seem to work, however, as Ryoga only kept on shaking his head stubbornly, his eyes shining with inner conflict before he looked away.

Ukyo bit her lip in thought for a moment before deciding to change tacks.

"Listen, I know you're not easy to live with at times, but I know_ I'm_ not easy to live with, either!" She began firmly. "And how can we be easy to live with? We've both lived alone for a long time! Sometimes I get really mad because I don't know what your deal is with making things so hard all the time, but I've also noticed that I'm not too…uh, that maybe I oversimplify things sometimes, that I'm too, you know, 'snap out of it' and 'come on', and just maybe sort of bossy and insensitive, and that I could use to learn some patience, and I…I feel that living with you…well, it's started to teach me patience." She told him a bit sheepishly, shrugging.

Ryoga listened to her speech in silence, his thoughts going a mile a minute as he tried to digest everything she was saying. It seemed as if he'd honestly, truly had an impact on another person, and not just in the sense that he'd kept her company; he'd also seemed to change her way of thinking a little, and frankly it overwhelmed him. He hadn't known quite how much he mattered to her.

"Usually I'm _never_ this patient, so I figure it must be because…because I really care." She confessed timidly. "I care about how you're doing, I care about not hurting you. And so I try to adapt, and I've noticed that you've been doing the same thing, trying to get along with me, trying not to be so sorry for everything and daring to speak your mind, daring to joke. And I like that I'm responsible for that."

"That was only for a month, Ukyo," He mumbled, almost tempted to give in but not allowing himself to out of fear. So he resisted. "If we lived together again, soon enough you'd realize you'd be better off with someone like Ranma."

"Oh, don't be stupid!" She barked, disbelieving at how he still clung onto his negative thinking despite everything she was telling him. "Now you're just wallowing in self-pity here! Don't even bring_ him_ into this! I'm not even engaged to him anymore, didn't you hear?" She huffed. "And I don't want anyone _like_ him, either, I want _you_! Do you really think something like him would be so much easier to live with than you?" She demanded, not keen to put Ranma down, but utterly tired of Ryoga's damn inferiority complex when it came to the other boy, and disappointed that he was even bringing it up when he _knew_— he _had _to know how she felt, right? So how could he still—

"He's got a curse, too, y'know," she reminded him, "and he goes off on training trips with his father so often that he'd probably be gone almost as often as you! Not to mention he seems to attract every kind of trouble known to man! The Tendos can keep patching up their dojo, but I sure as hell can't afford needing constant repairs on my restaurant!"

"B-but he probably wouldn't have any problems with something as simple as— as kissing a girl!" Ryoga blurted desperately.

Ukyo rolled her eyes. "Oh, _please_, are we even talking about the same person? Have you _seen_ him with girls?"

"B-but…"He stammered, momentarily unable to find a retort, because everything she was saying was of course true.

She shook her head. "And no matter how much I complain about you being depressed, I also think that Ranma is a bit too easygoing for me, like he wouldn't think the same things are important that I do." She smiled wryly. "As awful as it may sound, I can relate to some of the bitterness you still feel, especially when it comes to him."

Ryoga just sat speechlessly, then, listening to her.

"And at least I hold your attention," she went on, "With you, I feel like I'm important to you. With you, I feel like I'm needed and wanted and..." She paused briefly to clear her throat as her voice went slightly thicker with emotion. "I feel like you'd stick up for me, like you'd stick around as best as you could, like you wouldn't ditch me for somebody else." Leaning forward, she looked imploringly into his eyes, willing him to understand. "I trust you, Ryoga."

Ryoga could feel his throat constrict as he heard the straight, true words she told him, as she told him things that he'd thought about her as well; that was exactly how he felt when he was with her, as if he was somebody, as if he was important to her, and as she kept on trying to convince him, it was getting harder and harder to resist her, but he knew he had to do it for her own good. "But it's not just this..." He gulped. "It's not just that I can't control my body. You don't know…how I might get…I mean, I tend to get way too hung up on a girl…"

"You mean you might get too emotional and clingy? Too needy?" She only laughed.

"Y-yes…" He admitted, turning shame-faced as he heard her laughter; he hadn't expected her to _laugh _at him.

"Fine by me," Ukyo sent him a warm smile. "That's my problem, too, you see— I get pretty intense about stuff like this, too, so I know can handle it if you're that way because I can understand it. I've gotten to know you, Ryoga, and I've liked what I've seen so far, good and bad. I feel like you need me, and I really like that." She took his hand, squeezing it tenderly. "I like to feel needed…and I need you, too, in case you haven't noticed."

Ryoga could only gape at her, then. He hadn't expected _that_, either.

"_I'd_ love it if you gave _me_ too much attention," She whispered flirtatiously, laughter in her voice as she leaned closer to him.

"You would?" He was proud that he'd even uttered the words without stammering.

Ukyo nodded solemnly, even as she smirked coyly at him, so close she could see all the warm tones of his irises. "Besides, don't you still have a job at my restaurant?"

"Right." He agreed distractedly, mesmerized by her smiling eyes.

"Right…" She echoed before grabbing his face to pull him into a kiss. For a while, it went fine; he wasn't backing away, he was in fact responding rather well, and she got enthusiastic because of that, which was probably her mistake. He wasn't daring to touch her, but she was okay with that; they could take it slow so he could get used to it and have time to calm down. Besides, she was just happy that she was getting to touch him at all.

Slipping her tongue tentatively into his mouth, she deepened the kiss and took him along with her as he welcomed her into his mouth, his own tongue slowly coming out to touch hers. They did all that and there was still no damage done, though she could feel the tension in his body, his arms as taut as guitar strings.

The thing she probably shouldn't have done, though, was to climb into his lap. She did it because it was getting to be uncomfortable to have to twist her upper body like that to be able to face him. Draping herself across him affectionately, her chest against his, she shifted herself a little to get more comfy, and before she knew it, she was straddling him and— and then she heard a sound that really couldn't bode well.

When she looked down, she saw that Ryoga had in fact ripped out a sizeable chunk of the couch itself, stuffing and all, his hand shaking as it clutched a big wad of leather, foam rubber and even a little plywood.

"Please," he pleaded, looking utterly scared. "W-we have to stop."

Ukyo opened her mouth to comment, but he quickly shook his head. "I…I _know_ it's just k-kissing, but we have to stop."

"Yeah, maybe," She agreed, her voice timorous as she slowly climbed off of his lap. "For the sake of my dad's couch, anyway," She remarked, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm not quite sure what I'll tell him about this, really." The throw pillow she could just toss out with the trash, but as for the couch itself…well…dad wasn't going to be happy, she knew that much.

"Sorry about that," Ryoga said miserably, his head in his hands as he leaned forward so far that Ukyo started wondering if he was doing one of those head-between-your-legs things that you were supposed to do to prevent dizziness or hyperventilation or something—or was that nausea? She couldn't recall.

"Come on," she took his hand to help him up. "Let's get you a glass of water."

* * *

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so pushy like that." Ukyo said as she leaned on the kitchen counter, watching him with eyes that were soft with concern. 

Ryoga only made a vague grunt as he gulped down the water she'd given him; he looked like he'd really needed it.

"I hope you don't think I'm— I mean, I'm not gonna be, I dunno, some psycho girl who just throws herself at you at the drop of a hat—"She blushed deeply. "I…I just really got so frustrated about our problem…it was so maddening that something like that would happen now that we've finally— um, anyway, s-so I guess I just got a little carried away." Clearing her throat, she looked down. "I know a relationship isn't just supposed to be all rampant hormones and stuff."

'_Our problem', she said…__hah!_ "It's not our problem, Ukyo," he said, a hint of bitterness in his tone, "It's _my_ problem, because I'm the one who's_ causing_ this problem and—"He froze, staring at her. "W-wait a minute…Ukyo, did you just say…did you say _a relationship_?"

Ukyo blinked up at him, forgetting her own embarrassment in her confusion. "Yes?"

"D-do you mean to say...y-you want to be my g-girlfriend?" Admitting an attraction to him was one thing;_ this _was just…! He'd simply assumed that everything would be mostly like before, except with the added complication of increased physical contact, but if what she was saying was true—

"Uh…" Ukyo hesitated; he _hadn't_ assumed that that was what all this meant? Her voice was tiny when she spoke. "Yes?"

There was a strange, small noise as the glass he was holding shattered in Ryoga's hand; he didn't even seem to notice the pieces flying every which way and the remaining shards of glass cutting into his hand. "U-Ukyo…"

Startled, Ukyo lowered her arms from her face, having raised them in a reflex movement when the glass broke. "R-Ryoga?" Gasping, she rushed forward, grasping his wrist. "Ryoga, your hand!" When he still wasn't responding, she shook him roughly. "Your hand, Ryoga! Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

Getting slowly back to himself, Ryoga felt like his head was full of fluff. And spinning. "Uh…why?"

"Why what?" Ukyo asked, perplexed.

His throat dry, he spoke to her somewhat hoarsely, sounding dazed. "After what I did, why would you want to be my…?"

Ukyo paused; she knew exactly why, but she wasn't quite prepared to reveal that yet. Besides, judging from how he'd reacted to everything so far, he'd probably go into a coma or something if she actually told him the _L-word_ at this point.

"I…I don't know, I guess I just…I know I like spending time with you and I know I'm attracted to you and I guess…I just like you, in general. I care about you." She shook her head, starting to feel a little faint as she saw blood start to trickle out of the mess of skin and glass in his closed palm. Normally she wouldn't have had any problem with blood, but this was Ryoga's hand, and the injury had come so unexpected, right in the middle of a discussion about— "And…and isn't that what you do in those cases? Isn't that enough to start something up? Isn't that what you're supposed to do?"

"Y-yes…I suppose so," Ryoga nodded, looking pale.

Swallowing, Ukyo gently opened up his palm and winced when she saw a large shard of glass imbedded in the middle of it, as well as many much smaller ones. "D-does it hurt?"

"N-no," Ryoga said in a faraway voice. "It's just a little confusing…"

Ukyo frowned, an urge to laugh hysterically bubbling up in her, but fading fast; he was still so shocked over her declaration that he was completely oblivious to the wound in his hand! "Ryoga! I meant your hand!"

He peered at her in confusion, as if trying to focus. "M-my hand?"

"Does it hurt?" Ukyo repeated anxiously.

"Uh…no…maybe." He floundered, looking dizzy.

"Let's just…let's get this fixed up, okay?" She said softly, pushing him down into a chair. "Sit here." She told him sternly, running to the bathroom to get some supplies. When she got back, she used a pair of tweezers to pick out the many pieces of glass in his hand; apart from the one big one, most were tiny, tiny and hard to spot, but luckily, Ukyo had a very good eye. Much to her dismay, Ryoga was barely even flinching as she did it. She supposed it could be some sort of macho martial artist kind of thing, but most likely it was because he was still completely emotionally thrown.

Getting out a clean cloth and soaking it in warm water, she cleaned his wounds before dabbing a bit of iodine on the smaller cuts, finally applying gauze over the whole thing, wrapping his palm up tightly.

"Now," she said with an air of finality. "We're not gonna break any more stuff today, okay?"

"O-okay…"

Ukyo sighed as she took a seat in the chair next to him. "I worry about you, you know,"

He blinked at her in surprise. "You do?"

"Yes," Ukyo went on, fiddling absently with the skirt of her dress. "Are you okay?"

"I…I guess." Ryoga looked down. "My hand's gonna be fine."

"I wasn't talking about the hand," Ukyo said seriously.

Ryoga cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly. "Oh."

Sighing again, Ukyo leaned forward to look at his face. "It's just…sometimes everything is fine. We can joke and have fun and everything…and then you get like this." She frowned sadly. "I know I get depressed sometimes, too, but when you're like this, I don't quite know what to do…" A wry smile zipped across her mouth. "When I know you're just being a drama queen, I can always just yell at you or something, 'cause I have to admit that sometimes the only thing you need is a bop on the head," Her face turned more serious then, "But this is real. So what should I do?"

His Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed anxiously, Ryoga shook his head. "Um, I don't know…"

Ukyo took his injured hand, stroking the bandages carefully. "My first impulse is to kiss you or hug you to make you feel better, but that's what started this mess in the first place."

Blushing, Ryoga slipped his hand out of hers, looking down.

A sudden wave of grief hit Ukyo as she saw the withdrawn look on his face. "Shouldn't I have said any of this? Would it have been better if I never kissed you at all? Would it have been better if I didn't like you this way?"

Ryoga looked up again, seeming a little astounded. "N-no, that's not it at all!"

Ukyo lifted a quizzical eyebrow. "Then what?"

"Look, Ukyo, I know…I know it may not seem like it, b-but I'm…I'm really happy you told me all these things, because I did want to hear them." He waved a hand in a wishy-washy gesture as he tried to find the words with which to explain his feelings. "It's just that I don't quite know how to deal with it. My…my body's doing things…without me telling it to…and I just don't have any control…"

"Listen," Ukyo put a hand on his arm, smiling soothingly. "Let's make a compromise, okay?"

Ryoga hesitated. "What kind of compromise?"

Ukyo nodded, her smile softening further. "As long as I know you feel the same as me, I'm willing to wait for you to find out how you're gonna deal with…well, me."

He gaped at her, amazed. "Y-you'd do that for _me_?"

"Of course, idiot!" Ukyo rolled her eyes, grinning fondly at him. "Haven't you been listening to a single word I've said? You're the guy who's gonna teach me patience!"

"Ukyo…" His voice and his gaze were so reverent that she became acutely self-conscious.

"Here," she said quickly, reaching out her hand, curled into a fist with only her pinkie finger extended.

When he only gave her a blank, uncomprehending look, she grinned and grabbed his unresisting hand, moving his fingers into that same position before hooking her extended pinkie finger around his and squeezing.

It took a moment before the gesture made any sense to him, but when it did, he had to grin despite himself. "Pinkie promise?"

"Yes," she laughed softly, squeezing his pinkie finger again before letting go. "From now on, I'm officially your girlfriend. Okay?"

That made the already small grin fade completely from his lips. He hadn't expected her to say it that blatantly, in such a sure voice. Or maybe he hadn't expected her to say it at all.

"…you are?" His voice sounded miniscule and distant to his own ears.

She nodded, her smile warm. "I'm your girlfriend now. And you're my boyfriend, right?"

"Hhff…" He stuttered feebly, his body feeling heavy as he slumped into a kitchen chair.

"Right?" Ukyo prompted, patiently yet a bit nervously.

Ryoga only made an odd sound in the back of his throat, his fingers mechanically beginning to pick apart the edges of the seat of the same chair he was sitting in into tiny chunks, as easily as if he'd been pulling the petals off of a flower. He didn't look like he was even aware that he was doing it.

Ukyo sighed heavily, tilting her hip as she waited for him to come back to himself.

"…yes…!" Came his voice a minute or two later, his head nodding slowly as he looked up at her with awe, and suddenly she didn't care if she would have to explain all the random destruction to her father or not.

Ryoga was her boyfriend!

Even if he didn't even dare to hug her, he was still her boyfriend.

And they would figure it all out together.

* * *

Dinner that evening was…rather strange. 

There was still tension there, but it felt more…resolved than it had before. It didn't feel like something stretched so tightly it might snap; it now felt like some warm, subdued energy that they _shared_. That was the key word, sharing. They now knew, at last, what the other was all about. They now knew, better than before, where they stood with each other. There was still the new tension born from the problems they'd had earlier that day, but at least they weren't as confused anymore.

When Ukyo's father asked about Ryoga's wounded hand, Ukyo quickly explained that it was an injury he'd gotten at work, and that seemed to be that, and Ryoga was grateful for the backup as he'd been too befuddled to answer, lost in thought as he'd been.

Ukyo was smiling to herself and occasionally chatting with her father, while Ryoga…Ryoga just felt too stunned by the recent events to do anything other than eat his dinner and think.

Somehow, he needed to fix this. If they were supposed to make it work between them— and he really _did_ want that, now that she'd actually managed to ignite the confidence and determination within him to strive for their common goal— he had to change. He had to resolve his issues.

By the time dinner was over, Ryoga had made up his mind.

* * *

_**Dear Ukyo,**_

_**I hope you know that I would never want to hurt you ever again, which is why **_

_**I'm leaving for a while to learn how to control myself. **_

_**I'm planning to go to this secret temple I've heard about where they teach **_

_**all sorts of ways of focusing and concentrating when it comes to losing emotional **_

_**control, like how to avoid making anger distract you during battle, so I'm hoping they'll **_

_**have some sort of meditation method or something that might help me. **_

_**I don't k**__**now when I'll return, but I'll see you in Nerima as soon as possible, I promise.**_

_**Yours, **_

_**Hibiki Ryoga**_

That was the note Ukyo found tacked to her bedroom door the next morning. After about an hour of throwing a fit of frustrated rage, during which she tore at her hair, gritted her teeth, cried, punched the pillows on her bed, almost broke the padded training pole in the Kuonji backyard, and cursed Hibiki Ryoga at the top of her lungs, she finally calmed down when she admitted to herself that none of it was going to change the fact that he was gone.

She felt a little better for letting it all out, though, even if her behaviour had chased her father off, who'd suddenly remembered having a 'dentist appointment' he'd never mentioned before.

"Boys!" Ukyo gave a heart-felt groan, slapping her forehead as she slumped onto her back on the grass of their backyard. When she'd said she'd wait until he'd found out how to control himself and how to relate to their feelings for each other, she'd assumed they'd work it out_ together_— but _no_! He just _had_ to go off on some kind of stupid quest so he could be all _noble_ and fix all the problems himself, didn't he? Why was she surrounded by people who thought that learning _a new technique_ was the solution to everything?

_Oh well_, Ukyo sighed, Ryoga's problem _was_ pretty special. Maybe it needed a special solution, too?

She just wished he'd have taken the time to say goodbye before he left, but she guessed that he'd been afraid that she'd try to talk him out of going. This was probably one of those macho things that he needed to do alone.

But okay, this she could actually deal with. This was different than the last time he'd been gone, when she'd been riddled with guilt and she'd had no idea whether he'd actually be back or not. Now she knew she just had to wait for him for a while.

Sure, she didn't know for how _long_ he'd be gone, but all she needed to know was that he'd _promised_ he'd be back. Because she'd never been anything if not a strong-willed woman.

The only thing that still made her a little mad was that she had no way in which to contact him. The idiot hadn't even bought that cell phone yet!

Exhaling heavily, she was almost drifting off into slumber on the grass, exhausted from her massive emotional outlet, when her father, back from his 'dentist appointment', startled her out of it as he suddenly called for her from the living room.

"Ukyo! Why is there a hole in the couch?"

Ukyo grinned lamely. "Aheheheh…"

_**Damn**__ that jackass._

**THE END.**

* * *

**Author's note: **Yes, I'm that evil. It's over. They're a couple. The End. 

Phew.

...there might be a sequel. Maybe. I decided I didn't want to deal with their actual relationship here since _Omiyage_ was just supposed to be all about getting them together. I wanted a clean break.

I _have_ written some stuff that I might maybe possibly use for a sequel. Don't hold your breath, though.

"_I need you, too, in case you haven't noticed."_ Yep, I quoted Ukyo's line from _Nihao, My Concubine _AKA _Daikessen! Hanayome wo Torimodose! _(I don't quite know which title is stupider). How could I resist?

One of the reasons why I've realized I support Ryoga/Ukyo is because I feel like they are both so needy, so emotionally demanding that instead of scaring each other off with it, they'd probably understand each other because of it.I feel like they would be able to handle each other.Ukyo is the only girl tough enough to be with Ryoga, I feel, just as Ryoga is the only boy who wouldn't actually mind all the attention that Ukyo usually bestows on Ranma (who's only overwhelmed and confused by it).

I saw a gorgeous piece of Ry/Uk art on a Japanese site that made me go 'YES, she's got the idea!' I had already thought out and written the part about Ryoga's inability to control his strength in romantic situations in 2005 (I write my stories without any kind of order, just jotting down things as they come to me), inspired by the whole Jusenkyo Waterproof Soap story, and apparently this artist had been, too.

It was a picture of Ryoga and Ukyo about to kiss, and Ryoga holding his hands away from Ukyo's body so as not to hurt her. The artist's (Mako) explanation was that Ryoga keeping his hands away was a rule they had to abide by whenever they kissed, because Ukyo had had some trouble when Ryoga had hugged her with all of his strength before.

When you think about it, it's actually kind of sad. I think the artist saw it from a lighter perspective, though. Maybe I'm just depressing. :) There's a link to the artist's page on my homepage, under _RUX: Mako's Japanese Ry/Uk Fan Art Gallery_.

Does anybody ever visit my Ryoga/Ukyo page, by the way? Just wondering. I'm gonna keep updating it anyway, because I love showing off that beautiful Japanese Ry/Uk art.

* * *


End file.
